All I Ever Wanted
by HopelessRomantic984
Summary: Jude chooses Tommy and travels to Thailand. But she returns after a month, alone and brokenhearted. Tommy comes back, and other complications ensue... Can Tommy and Jude get past their hurt to finally find happiness together?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The song is Kelly Clarkson's Addicted.

All I Ever Wanted

Prologue

Jude walked into the rehearsal space, happy to find herself alone. The flight back from Asia had been long and her emotional upheaval hadn't helped matters. As she put her bags down on the floor and sauntered over to sit on the couch, she wondered how things could go wrong so quickly. A month ago she had felt so positive about the future – she picked Tommy and was on her way to Asia with him, so confident that they were finally going to get their chance to build a relationship. She couldn't believe that only a month later she would find herself back in Canada, her heart broken in a million pieces, and with a promise to herself never to let Tommy Quincy back into her life or her heart again.

Chapter 1:

Jude woke up slowly, her eyelids opening to an unfamiliar sight. The last month she had gotten used to the heat of Thailand and the various places that Tommy had found for them to stay there. She looked around, her mind finally registering the details of her reality – she was at the rehearsal space and her neck had a major crick in it from sleeping on the uncomfortable sofa. She sat up slowly, trying to rub out the pain from her neck. It dissipated slightly, but did not disappear. "Great," she murmured to herself, "another thing I'll have to deal with."

As she glanced around her, she realized that at least this place had not changed. She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and relief in that. Enough of her life was in shambles, she was glad she could still find solace here. She felt like hiding here forever. No one even knew she was back yet. She hadn't told anyone that she was coming back; in fact, she really didn't know herself until hours before she left. And now that she was back, coming face to face with anyone meant explaining why she was back, or more specifically why she was back alone. And she couldn't go there yet, even in her own mind. She hadn't had time to process it yet. She needed time to think, time to mourn the short-lived, but passionate, relationship she shared with Tommy for the month they were in Thailand.

She heard her phone ring in her purse and walked over and pulled it out. "Tommy Quincy." she said to herself as she looked at the call display, "Not a chance in hell." She turned off the ringer and shoved the phone back in her purse.

She sat back on the couch, Tommy invading her thoughts regardless of how hard she tried to push him out of her mind. One specific memory kept replaying itself, the moment when she told Tommy she was going to Asia with him. She closed her eyes, envisioning the exact scene, savouring every moment. Tommy had smiled, wider than she had ever seen. Then he had grabbed her close, kissing her breathlessly. When he broke the kiss, he kept her body enclosed in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Jude Harrison." The pain hit her swiftly and relentlessly, and she forced her eyes open, banishing the memory from her brain. She knew she couldn't keep doing this to herself. She had to find a way to let Tommy go for good. How she was going to do that, she had no idea. Every time she closed her eyes or had a minute of silence, she thought of him. Hell, she even dreamt about him. Even last night, when she was beyond furious at him, her dreams had been filled with Tommy. This made the thought of living without him almost unbearable.

Even the thought of living without Tommy caused her breath to come quicker and quicker until she realized she was hyperventilating. She leaned her head down between her knees, trying to catch her breath. The pain hit her sharply, and she buried her head in her hands, the tears beginning to pour from her eyes. This was going to be a lot harder than she had hoped it would be. It was one thing to say she never wanted to see Tommy again – it was a totally different thing to put those words into practice. But she had to, for her own sense of self-preservation.

She allowed herself to cry, the sobs rocking her body for many minutes. She knew she had to let them out; things had been since a whirlwind the last day or so that she hadn't allowed herself to cry since she left Thailand. These tears were first that she cried over Tommy and she wanted to get them all out, make sure they were her last.

As her eyes began to dry and her body began to stop shaking, she was startled by someone opening the door to the rehearsal space.

"Jude?! What are you doing here?" It was Jamie. Pretty much the last person she wanted to see right now. Jamie hadn't changed much in a month, his hair was a bit longer and he looked extremely tired, probably from all the work starting his new label, but other than that he was just Jamie. The guy who had been her best friend since childhood, the one who had wanted more from her than she could ever give him.

As she tried to muster a response, Jamie walked over to stand in front of her.

"I'm…I'm back." She stated simply. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Spiederman. SME are recording for my new label. But that's not important. What's going on, Jude?" He sat down next to her on the couch, putting a supportive hand on her back.

"I told you. I'm back. But I don't want to talk about me," she said, attempting to change the subject. "How is everything going with the label?"

Despite his attempt to try and find out what was happening with Jude, her mention of the label successfully distracted him. His face broke out into a smile, "It's good, Jude. I'm really happy. Things are going well. And you know there's always room for Jude Harrison, producer and recording artist, right?"

Jude shot Jamie a small smile, "Thanks. I think I'll definitely take you up on that."

"Jude, about before… you know… when you left with Tommy instead of staying with me…"

"Jamie-" Jude started, only to be interrupted by Jamie.

"No wait, I need to get this out. Honestly, Jude, the truth is I should have known. I mean I've seen you and Tommy since you were 15 and I think I've known since then that he's the only man in your heart. I was just deluding myself to think that I could take his spot. I had a while to think about it while you were gone and I realized that if you had stayed, we would have eventually made each other miserable. You would have always wanted Tommy and I would have always wanted you to want just me. What I'm clumsily trying to get around to is that your friendship is way too important to me to throw away over what happened."

Jude smiled, glad that at least she had Jamie's friendship again. She had never wanted to hurt him, but she couldn't reciprocate feelings that simply weren't there for her. And she was so relieved that he understood that. "Thanks Jamie. I never want to lose you as my friend." She reached over and hugged him.

As he released her, he pulled back, looking into her eyes. "Now, Jude. Do you want to tell me what the heck happened with you and Tommy? Or is Tommy back too?" Jamie asked, looking around for him.

"No, Tommy's not here. But I can't talk now," Jude said, getting up and pretending to look at her watch. "I have to go meet Sadie. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Okay." Jamie said, clearly unconvinced by her explanation. "Oh, wait," he said, stopping her as she began to gather her things, "the new label, we took over the G-Major space. Turns out because of their financial issues we were able to get the space for a good deal. And we were able to buy a lot of their equipment. So, anyway, you'll know where I'll be if you want to come by later and check it out."

"Sounds great," Jude said, then she continued gathering her bags and she rushed out the door before she had to say anything else.

As the cab stopped in front of her house, Jude stepped out slowly, dreading the meeting she was able to have. Having to face her dad and Sadie was going to be the worst. She could brush everyone else off but she would have to explain everything to them eventually. She paid the cab driver, got her bags out of the trunk and then just stood, staring at her front door. She took a deep breath before stepping forward towards her house. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she looked around quickly and didn't see anyone. Then suddenly, Sadie bounded down the stairs, almost falling down the last few at the shock of seeing Jude standing before her.

"Jude?! You're home?"

"Hey Sadie, yes, I'm home. Where's Dad?" Jude said, carrying her bags towards the stairs to take them upstairs. Sadie blocked her way.

"Dad's not home. He's gone away for a couple of days with a friend." Sadie refused to be distracted. "What happened? Where's Tommy?"

Jude looked up at her sister, and Sadie immediately saw the suffering in her eyes. "What did Tommy do?"

"Look, Sadie, I know you want to help, but right now I just want to go upstairs and sleep my life away, okay?" Jude tried to push past her sister to climb the stairs. At first Sadie resisted, and then she moved slightly to allow Jude to pass. Jude breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard her sister following her up the stairs.

Jude walked into her room, dropping her bags inside the door. She dragged herself to her bed and flopped down on it, closing her eyes. Then she felt the bed sink down beside her.

"Jude, I'm here. Whenever you need to talk about whatever happened, I'm here." Sadie said, reaching her hand down and linking her it with Jude's.

Jude felt the tears welling in her eyes, but she couldn't stop them from spilling out. Sadie gathered her sister in her arms, rubbing Jude's back. "Let it out, Jude," she said. Sadie thought she could hear her own heart breaking as she felt the sobs rack Jude's body. She was going to kill Tom Quincy.

"I think he finally broke me," Jude whispered through her tears.

Eventually Sadie felt Jude's body relax and heard her breathing normalize. She glanced down and saw her sister sleeping peacefully. She extricated herself from Jude's grip and lifted herself off the bed to grab a quilt to cover Jude with. As she watched her sister sleeping, she wondered silently what Tommy had done this time, and hoped that maybe finally her sister could find some peace without him.

Hours later, Jude struggled to pull herself out of a nightmare. She was running, running quickly to get away from someone. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel his approach. No matter how hard she ran, she couldn't escape him. Just before she managed to jerk herself free of the nightmare, the man caught up with her, grabbing a hold of her waist with both of his hands. Then out of nowhere, they were standing on top of a cliff and the man was pulling her down with him, down into a dark abyss. The last thing she saw before she woke up was the man's face as they were falling. Unsurprisingly, the man was Tommy Quincy.

Her body jolted up, and she immediately felt the cold sweat that had developed on her body. Then she felt the nausea start to rise from her stomach. She turned to sit on the side of her bed, and breathed deeply, hoping to stave off the queasiness. When she finally felt the sickness pass, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked scary. Her hair was a mess, her skin was ghastly pale and her eyes held a sadness which she feared might be permanent.

"I've got to get out of here, get my mind off of him," she said to herself. She grabbed some fresh clothes from her closet, and then headed to the bathroom to shower, hoping to wash away the pain that had settled in her heart.

Twenty minutes later, she headed down the stairs. She was going to start over. It was really the only choice she had. She looked up as Sadie emerged from the living room.

"How are you?"

"I'm managing," Jude said, shooting her sister a small smile. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet, Sadie, but when I am I'll come to you, okay? But for now, I'm going to get started on the rest of my life. I talked to Jamie this morning and his offer for me to work at his new label still stands. And right now the only thing I want to do is bury myself in my music. I'm going to head over to the studio now and check things out."

"Okay. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Sadie said, and she moved forward to give Jude a sisterly hug. Jude hugged her back tightly, grateful to have such a wonderful sister.

"Okay. And when I get back I want to hear all about Mexico, okay?" Jude smiled, then grabbed her purse and soared out the door.

As Jude walked around the building that used to be G-Major Records, she was surprised at all the changes Jamie and Paegan had made. The place looked great, really classy and elegant but still young and hip. As she was looking around, Jamie came out from one of the offices, looking at some paperwork. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed her.

"Hey Jude," he said, clearly surprised to see her. He looked at his watched. "It's 10:30. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just wanted to come and tell you I'm going to take you up on your offer. I need to reinvent myself and my music. Right now, I need to work on my music more than anything. Is it okay if I use one of the studios right now?"

"Sure," he said smiling. "I'm glad you're here. Pick any of the studios you want. I'll just be in my office if you need me. It's Tom-" he began, then stopped himself.

"It's okay. You can say his name. You took Tommy's old office. Well, I'll know where to find you then." She smiled weakly at him, then sauntered off towards Studio A.

She sat down at the familiar microphone, memories of all the songs she and Tommy had recorded there flooding her mind. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and then she took out a piece of paper, a song she had written on the plane on the way home. Not that she needed the paper. She already knew the words by heart.

She closed her eyes and began singing, pouring her pain into the words she sang.

_It's like you're a drug  
It's like you're a demon I can't face down  
It's like I'm stuck  
It's like I'm running from you all the time _

_  
And I know I let you have all the power  
It's like the only company I seek is misery all around _

_  
It's like you're a leech  
Sucking the life from me  
It's like I can't breathe  
Without you inside of me_

_  
I'll handle it, quit it  
Just one more time  
Then that's it  
Just a little bit more to get me through this _

_  
I'm hooked on you  
I need a fix  
I can't take it  
Just one more hit  
I promise I can deal with it  
I'll handle it, quit it _

_  
It's like I can't think  
Without you interrupting me  
In my thoughts  
In my dreams  
You've taken over me  
It's like I'm not me  
It's like I'm not me_

As she finished, she sat with her eyes still closed, completely drained of all energy and oblivious to the tears that had fallen while she sang. "I will break myself of you, Tom Quincy," she whispered to herself, praying she'd have the strength to actually do it.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything... The song is Kelly Clarkson's "Hole".

Chapter 2:

The next month and a half passed slowly for Jude. Tommy was still always on her mind even though she hadn't spoken to him. He had called incessantly for two weeks after she left him but she never answered his calls, nor did she listen to the twenty-five voicemails that he left for her. She breathed an audible sigh of relief the first day she checked her phone to see that there were no new calls or messages from Tommy Quincy.

Her only saving grace at this point was that she was back at work at Jamie and Paegan's still unnamed record label. Her life had become routine: she would go to the studio everyday, then she would come home, eat dinner with Sadie and her dad, and then she would go to bed. The odd night she spent playing with SME at the rehearsal space, but even those were rare nights out. She was happy to be back at work, writing songs and recording, but going to the former G-Major everyday reminded her of Tommy and she was still adjusting to producing her songs without his input. And the fact that all the songs she wrote were inspired by Tommy didn't relieve her pain any. But she couldn't help it. She had always written from her heart, and the one who still occupied her heart was Tommy Quincy, whether she liked it or not.

The pain she felt from missing him hadn't lessened any. She felt completely jipped – she had envisioned a life with Tommy Quincy and she'd gotten a month. Part of that month had been blissful, but she still couldn't help but feel melancholy over the loss of a future with Tommy. She kept telling herself that it was her choice, her only one. Tommy would only hurt her. But most of the time this didn't reassure her at all.

For the last week, she had been physically sick, the nausea coming upon her as she woke in the morning. Sometimes it would fade and sometimes it would last all day. She attributed her sickness to the fact that she had not actually dealt with what had happened with Tommy. She had repressed her feelings, and still had not discussed what happened with anyone. That had to change, she realized, and she had already made a decision to talk with Sadie that night and tell her everything. She looked at it as her first step towards releasing Tommy's hold on her life.

That day had been a long one of recording, and as she walked in her front door, all she wanted was to march up to her bedroom and go to sleep. But she needed to get all of her feelings about Tommy off her chest; hopefully then she would start to feel better, emotionally and physically.

She dragged herself up the stairs and stowed her guitar and her purse in her room, and then popped her head in Sadie's doorway to see if she was there. She spotted her sister sitting on the bed talking on her cell phone.

Sadie noticed her in the doorway, and motioned with her free hand for Jude to enter. Jude hesitated, not wanting to interrupt, but Sadie looked determined and motioned again for her to come in. She walked in and sat on the floor, leaning her back against the wall. She felt drained and she could only imagine that she would feel more so after this conversation.

"Kwest, I gotta go. I'll call you later, okay? Love you, too," Sadie said, then shut her phone and placed on the bedside table. "Are you okay, Jude?" she asked, turning towards her sister, and patting the place on the bed beside her. Jude stood up slowly, and walked over to sit beside her sister.

"Sadie, remember when I first came back and you offered to listen if I needed to talk about…what happened? Can I take you up on that offer?"

"Sure, honey. You know I'm always here when you need to talk," Sadie said, squeezing Jude's hand reassuringly.

"Okay, well… I don't even know where to start. That day when you were leaving for Mexico with Kwest, you told me to choose who was in my heart, that I knew who that was. Well, I've known since I was fifteen that Tommy Quincy was the man who owned my heart. I mean, everyone thought it was just a crush but they don't understand what Tommy and I have… I mean, what we **had**." Jude corrected. She still found it difficult to think of Tommy as part of her past, not her future. "Well, when I went to see him to tell him, he was so happy. We spent the next two days before we flew to Thailand just being together, making out, planning the trip and talking. It was amazing. And even when we got to Asia, we were having a great time just exploring things over there. It's something Tommy's always wanted to do and I could tell how glad he was that he was finally doing it. And that made me happy." She smiled as the memories of those early days crept into her mind. "Oh, Sadie, he was just so sweet and romantic, he was the Tommy I loved, the Tommy he tries to hide from everyone else but me. We even… I mean I…" she lowered her voice, "I had sex with him." She looked up into Sadie's unsurprised face. "As you know, it was my first time, and it was everything I could have hoped for. He was sweet and supportive. I mean, he kept telling me we didn't have to, that he would love me no matter how long we waited. But one night it just felt right. Anyways, I'm sure you don't want all the details," she said quickly, feeling herself start to blush, "but he was the perfect gentleman about it. He was my Tommy and it was everything I could have asked for. And no matter what happens, I will never regret that my first time was with Tommy."

She moved her body slightly, feeling some tension relieved from having shared even that much. "So, what happened? What did Tommy do to break your heart?" Sadie prompted. This was going to be the hard part.

"That's just it. He didn't do anything."

"What do you mean?" Sadie asked, puzzlement filling her eyes.

Jude looked away from Sadie, down at the comforter she was sitting on and began playing with a loose thread. Anything to keep her hands busy and her eyes directed away from her sister. "Well, things between us were going so well. We were finally together; we had exactly what we both had wanted for three years. I felt invincible, like nothing could possibly go wrong. Like I said, Tommy was being great. The guard, the mask, that he puts up with everyone else was nowhere in sight. And then one day, about a week before I came back, it was like someone flipped a switch inside of him. He started distancing himself from me. I could actually feel it, emotionally and physically. He stopped talking about us the way he had been, with joy and hope. He almost stopped talking period. He stopped kissing me, we stopped having sex. He started going out by himself with some friends that we met in Thailand. A couple of days that week I barely saw him." The pain in Jude's voice was so strong it was almost too hard for Sadie to listen to her. "I couldn't understand it. I tried talking to him, to find out if I had done something wrong," Jude's voice was almost a whisper by this point, and she was wiping the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "He wouldn't talk about it. He would just get this glazed look on his face, the one he gets when he's determined to shut someone out. Then, one night I woke up at like three o'clock in the morning and he wasn't back at the hotel yet. Even the other days when I hadn't seen him much he had still slept in our hotel room. So, I got worried. I heard some noise coming from the bar across the street. We had gone there the week before with some of the locals. So, I put on some jeans and t-shirt and walked across the street to see if he was there. Well, I had just gotten in the doorway when I saw him sitting at the bar talking to one of the local women we had met. He was smiling and laughing and talking. I realized in that moment that he hadn't looked at me or talked to me like that in a week. It's like after the three year chase, he wasn't interested in the actual relationship. After I saw him at the bar, I walked back across the street without him knowing I was there and gathered my stuff haphazardly into my suitcase. I wrote him a note saying simply that I was leaving, that things were not going to work out, and then I left. I was lucky that there was a cab parked just outside the hotel. So I got a ride to the airport to book the earliest flight out and I haven't spoken to him since."

Jude finally looked up, barely able to see her sister through the tears that were clouding her eyes. Her voice was cracking with the emotions of the words she spoke. "While I was waiting at the airport, I had a lot of time to think about everything. And I realized that it simply hurts too much to love Tommy, and I don't want to open myself up to be hurt by him anymore. I realized I would rather have the memories of the short amount of time we did spend together than deal with what he was doing to me, shutting me out and turning away from me. Tommy made it clear to me that it just not possible for me and him to make a relationship work, no matter how much we love each other. I mean, how much am I supposed to let him hurt me before I give up on him? We've had so many false starts and it never works out. I can't do it anymore. It almost kills me every time I have him in my grasp and then I lose him. I realized I need to find a way to let him go for good," she said, her voice finally giving out as the sobs began to overpower her. As Sadie wrapped her arms around her sister, Jude whispered, "I just don't know how I'm going to let him go."

When Jude's crying subsided, she turned to look her sister in the eye, "Thanks Sadie. I really need to do that. Get it all out. You know, catharsis and all that."

"Do you feel any better?" Sadie asked, trying to comfort Jude by rubbing her back.

"No, honestly I feel numb. I still can't fathom how it all fell apart so quickly. And the one thing I keep wondering is why Tommy turned away from me like that. It scared me because he's never shut me out like that, even when we were fighting. He's always been there, at least to listen and soothe my fears. But this was the first time when I felt he was just not emotionally available to me. He was the one person I thought I could **always **count on. How did that disappear so quickly?" Jude asked, looking to her sister for an answer.

"I don't know, Jude. I wish I could tell you." Sadie replied, both sisters wrapping their arms around each other.

Jude woke up the next morning to the nausea that was becoming all too familiar. Luckily she made it to the bathroom before throwing up. She sat on the floor, posed to move to toilet if she needed to be sick again. She had hoped that after she talked to Sadie, she would stop getting the nauseous feeling, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Eventually the feeling passed and she stood up slowly and grabbed her toothbrush, anxious to get rid of the vomit taste in her mouth; then she hopped into the shower. After showering, she just stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. She had dark circles under her eyes, from the nights she had been up in the past month and a half thinking about Tommy and what had gone wrong. Her hair was unkempt and she could see the split-ends. And her eyes looked empty, like she had been drained of all joy and life. Well, that's how she felt, so there was no wonder her eyes reflected it. "When is the pain going to end?" she asked her reflection. Unfortunately, she had no answer for herself and she went back to her room to get ready for the day.

She arrived at the studio fifteen minutes late for her meeting with Jamie. He was anxious to hear what she had been working on and had asked her to come in so he could hear at least one of her new songs. She had decided that instead of playing a recorded demo, she was going to sing one live and she had asked Spiederman to meet her at the studio so he could accompany her on guitar.

As she walked through the front door, she saw Jamie standing at the front desk, waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late. Crazy morning."

He smiled sympathetically. He had seen the toll that her break-up with Tommy had taken on her and the last thing he was worried about was that she was late for a meeting. "No worries. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Jude said tightly. "Just anxious to sing you one of my new songs. Let's get that meeting started. Is Spiederman here?"

"Yep, he's setting up in Studio A."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Jude asked, beginning to walk to Studio A and motioning for Jamie to follow.

She walked into the studio, immediately setting up the microphone. She looked towards Spiderman who was adjusting his guitar. "You ready?" He nodded in response. She looked towards Jamie who had taken a seat a few feet from the microphone. "Jamie?"

"Ready when you are."

"Okay. This song is called "Hole" and it's got a bit of a rock edge." She nodded for Spiederman to play the electric guitar opening, and then she closed her eyes to sing the lyrics. _Yet another song about Tommy_, she thought to herself as she opened her mouth to sing, to express the emptiness she felt now without him.

I'm so far from where I need to be  
I've given up on faith, on everything  
All I want, all I need  
Is some peace

There's a hole  
Inside of me  
It's so cold  
Slowly killing me

Secrets  
Eating at the core of me  
Shut off  
Trusting all the lies I breathe

I'm so far from where I need to be  
I've given up on faith, on everything  
All I wanted, all I needed  
Was some peace

There's a hole  
Inside of me  
It's so damn cold  
Slowly killing me

Sinking ever so slowly  
So far from where I should be  
No hands reaching out for me  
Help me, help me

Something's gone  
I can feel it  
It's all wrong  
I'm so sick of this

Jude kept her eyes closed for a minute, absorbing the emotions of what she had sung.

"Jude…" she heard a familiar voice interrupt her thoughts. But it wasn't Jamie or Spiederman. She forced her eyes open instantly, and her fear was confirmed. The man who had spoken her name was Tommy Quincy.

He was standing just inside the doorway of the studio, and Jude could see that his eyes were cloudy and that one tear had escaped, apparently unnoticed, down his cheek. "Jude, I'm so sorry," he said softly. He was looking at her the way he used to. She had told him once that he saved a look just for her. Well, that's the look he giving her, and she felt as if no one else in the room existed.

And with that look and those few words from him, the small amount of progress she had made in getting past him dissipated, and she felt her world crashing to her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The song is Kelly Clarkson's "Haunted".

Chapter 3:

All she could do was stare at him. She couldn't believe Tommy was standing in front of her, looking at her like nothing bad had gone on between them.

He stepped forward, lifting his hand to touch her arm and she quickly stepped back, recoiling from his touch. "Jamie!" she said loudly, unable to take her eyes off Tommy. "Jamie, get me out of here!!" She felt like she couldn't move of her own accord but she knew she needed to leave before she was sick or passed out or worse, jumped into his arms. Because, despite all the hurt, when she saw him that's all she wanted to do. Jamie stepped forward only to be met by a glare from Tommy. Jamie's face was full of hatred and he returned the glare for a moment before taking Jude's arm and guiding her out into the lobby. Tommy followed close behind, getting more frustrated by Jamie's interference.

"Jude, we need to talk!" he called out, rushing to catch up with her.

Jude suddenly stopped, turning on her heels to face Tommy, the shock of seeing Tommy again subsiding and her anger at him returning, "Actually, we don't. I don't want to see or talk to you ever again." She turned half of the way back towards the door, then stopped and looked at Tommy again. Tommy could see all the sadness and hurt he had caused her, expressed in that one look. "You should have stayed gone," she whispered, then began walking towards the exit again.

Tommy began to follow, but was stopped by Jamie. "Will you get out of the way?" Tommy yelled.

"You know what? No! I'm not going to get out of the way. You've hurt her way too many times and she keeps letting it happen. Well, no more. If she never wants to see you again, then she doesn't have to see you. It's her choice."

"Look, Jude and I… well, we're…complicated." Tommy said, and then remembered who he was talking to. "And we're none of your business!!" he yelled.

"I'm her friend. That makes Jude my business. You, I really couldn't care less about." Jamie replied, his voice rising as well.

Tommy looked at him, disgusted. "I see, so, is this part of your big plan to win her back? Look, Jamie, I'm sorry she didn't pick you—"

"Tommy, I know you can't understand this, but I actually want what's best for Jude. That includes not constantly hurting her. Besides, the last thing she's interested in right now is a relationship. With anyone."

In the midst of Jamie and Tommy's fighting, Jude had made her escape, rushing out the door and running directly to her car. She drove off as quickly as her accelerator would allow, but after five minutes of driving she found it really difficult to keep the car on the road. She lifted one hand off the steering wheel and saw that it was shaking so badly there was no wonder she couldn't drive properly. At the nearest safest spot, she pulled the car over to the side of the road and put the car into 'park'. She sat back in her seat, leaning her head against the headrest, breathing deeply and allowing the tears to come. She knew it would be hard to see Tommy again. It always would be. But looking at him, feeling his presence so close – it was almost too much to endure.

She pulled herself together, wiping the tears away and taking a few more deep breaths. She looked at herself in the rear view mirror. She was really pale and her face was blotchy from the tears she had shed. "Keep it together, Jude. You can do this. You have to," she said to herself firmly. Then she pulled the car back into the road and drove the rest of the way home.

As soon as she arrived home, she rushed into the house, ignoring questions from her father as she ran up the stairs and locked herself in her room. She lay down on her bed and buried her head in her pillow. She closed her eyes but all she could see was Tommy, the way he looked when she'd seen him only half an hour earlier. He'd seemed so sincere. _NO!_ her mind screamed, _don't let him back in again. He's proven countless times that he'll just hurt you. You're done with that. You're finally moving on. For your own sanity, that's what you have to do_. She knew this to be true, but her heart was just not listening to her mind. Her heart and her body still responded to Tommy the way she always had – with the impulse to grab onto him and never let go. So, how was she going to let go of him forever? Especially now that he was back. What was she going to do? She opened her eyes and turned over, looking up at the ceiling. She wished above all that she could find some relief – all she did was think about him or cry about him or sing about him. She needed to stop before she destroyed herself.

Tommy's argument with Jamie didn't last much longer, ending with Jamie saying he had better things to do and storming off. Tommy knew he shouldn't have expected a warmer reception from either Jude or Jamie. It had broken his heart to stand there listening to Jude sing, knowing very well that if she felt like she was dying inside that he was the cause. And that's the last thing he had ever wanted for her. He was a complicated, messed-up individual – he had never claimed to be anything else. But hurting Jude like he had – made him feel like the jerk most people thought he was.

Tommy was heading toward the door of the studio, about to leave when Spiderman called his name from behind him.

"Spiederman, honestly, I'm just not in the mood, okay?" Tommy, said, pausing for a moment.

"Look, Tommy, you're just about nobody's favourite person right now, so you might want to listen to me." Spiederman said, and he waited to say more until Tommy turned around to face him. "Look, none of the guys including Jamie know what happened with you and Jude." He noticed Tommy getting angry, and added, "And it's none of our business, I know." He held up his hands defensively. "But I will tell you, Jude's been in a bad way since she came back. The guys and I really only see her here at the studio where she works like a fiend. Then she goes home. And she comes back the next day and does the same thing. And I'll tell you, she's recorded some killer stuff – it's darker than her normal stuff. Not that it doesn't work for her. But it's never been her style before. And I'm guessing this new trend has something to do with you." Tommy glared at him, and Speiderman said, "Just a guess. Anyway, the thing that bothers me the most, and really the only reason I'm telling you any of this is the fact that the joy is gone. Jude was one of those people, when she sang the joy was spilling out of her. That's gone. Now, she's just…." Spiederman paused, looking for an appropriate word, "empty."

"Hey, do you think you could play me another of her songs, one of the ones she recorded?" Tommy asked suddenly, wanting to get a better grasp on what Jude had been feeling. And Tommy knew better than anyone, the way to understand Jude was to understand her music.

Spiederman looked around to see if Jamie was around. "Okay, but you can't tell anyone I did this," he said, and walked into studio A, followed closely by Tommy. Spiederman looked around shuffling through demos, "There's one specific one I think you should hear. She wrote it only a couple of days after returning. It's got a bit of an Evanescence feel to it," he said, putting the demo in to play. Jude's voice immediately permeated the room, so full of pain and suffering.

_Where are you?  
I need you  
Don't leave me here on my own  
Speak to me  
Be near me  
I can't survive unless I know you're with me_

_Shadows linger  
Only to my eye  
I see you, I feel you  
Don't leave my side  
It's not fair  
Just when I found my world  
They took you, they broke you, they tore out your heart_

_I miss you, you hurt me  
You left with a smile  
Mistaken, your sadness  
Was hiding inside  
Now all that's left  
Are the pieces to find  
The mystery you kept  
The soul behind a guise_

_Where are you?  
I need you  
Don't leave me here on my own  
Speak to me  
Be near me  
I can't survive unless I know you're with me_

_Why did you go?  
All these questions run through my mind  
I wish I couldn't feel at all  
Let me be numb  
I'm starting to fall_

_Where are you?  
I need you  
Don't leave me here on my own  
Speak to me  
Be near me  
I can't survive unless I know you're with me_

_Where are you?  
Where are you?_

"Wow," Tommy said, thrown by how much pain was infused into that song. He now knew he had a lot of ground to make up before she'd even speak to him again. And, hell, he didn't blame her. If he was her, he wouldn't talk to him either.

"Yeah, not exactly classic Jude. Like, I said, it's great. But it's not exactly her normal stuff." Spiederman gathered his belongings, "Anyway, I was never here. We never had this conversation." He began to walk out of the studio.

"Hey, Spiederman," Tommy said, catching him before he left. "Thanks." Spiederman nodded and continued walking.

Tommy remained in the studio, unable to believe how far things had come, how bad things had gotten because of him. When he had found Jude's note after finally returning to their hotel room in Thailand, he knew he'd messed up. Hell, for a week before Jude left, he had known things were spiralling out of his control, but he did not perceive that things were this bad. He thought he'd come back and apologize and they'd move forward. But he'd obviously hurt her more deeply than he had realized and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to fix it. He knew he had to try, because after she left he finally understood what a jerk he had been, and he realized that Jude was the only thing in his life actually worth fighting for. He loved her; he always had. Not that those words would mean anything to her right now.

The only way he could explain his actions in Thailand was self-sabotage. He finally had Jude – finally after three years of wanting her more than anything. While they were in Thailand, they were having such a great time. But what he could only describe as his personal demons came to the surface and he began questioning himself, his ability to be everything Jude needed and whether he was even capable of being in a normal relationship. With this fight occurring in his brain, facing Jude meant facing his fears, his demons and his own shortcomings. So, in what he liked to call 'typical-Tommy' style, he ran from her, pushed her away. And then, to his horror, he came back to hotel that fateful night and she was gone. And she wouldn't answer his calls. And he knew he'd done it again, he'd hurt her. But he never realized the full effect that his actions had on her; if things were as bad as Jamie and Spiederman described, he had changed Jude, and he had begun to destroy her precious spirit. And if that was the case, he didn't know how he'd live with himself.

He finally got up, walking out of the studio, knowing the one place he had to go would probably be the one place he wouldn't be welcome.

Tommy pulled his car into Jude's driveway, knowing this was not going to be easy. But he had to get through to her. She was the only thing in his life that mattered. The past month without her had been hell. But, at the same time it had been necessary for him. He felt like he had begun to fight some of his demons. The month without her had shown him how much he needed her in his life, regardless of how broken he was. The pain he had felt at being without her had proved to him that regardless of his shortcomings, and there were a lot of them, he needed to give his relationship with Jude a real try. He loved her, he always would and he needed to be with her. For him, it had really become that simple.

He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Jude's father answered, and he did not look the least bit impressed to see Tommy.

"She doesn't want to see you Tommy. I believe her exact words were, 'I don't want to see him, EVER.' Whatever you've done, I think it was the last straw."

"Stuart… I mean, Mr. Harrison," Tommy corrected himself as Stuart glared at him, "I love Jude. I'm not giving up on us. I can't."

"Tom, I don't think you have much of a choice in the matter." Stuart said, before he closed the door in Tommy's face. Tommy stood at the door for a moment, wondering whether he should stay and demand to see Jude, but he rethought that impulse. He needed a night to absorb all that he had learned today.

He walked back to his car and sped away. As he was driving away, he could have sworn he saw Jude's silhouette in her window, watching him leave. Then he thought that it was probably just what he wanted to see.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at his apartment. He walked in, dropping his keys by the front door. He immediately strode into his kitchen and took out a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a glass.

He carried the glass into the living room and sat on the couch. "What have I done?" he asked himself audibly, and then he drank the whole glass of whisky in one gulp. He usually hated whisky, the way it burned his throat all the way down. But tonight, he needed it, needed something to distract him from the devastating force of guilt and sorrow that threatened to overwhelm him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Jude was in the kitchen making herself some breakfast when she heard the knock at the door. She immediately stiffened, wondering if it was Tommy. She had seen his car speed away last night and she knew that wouldn't be the end of it. He'd be back, and she knew she would eventually have to speak to him. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. He broke her heart and she wasn't going to give him the chance to do it again. She knew all the logical reasons why this was a good plan – he seemed to hurt her whether he tried to or not, and she needed to get out before it was too late. As it was, she found it hard to function. She couldn't imagine if she had been with him for a few years, how hard it would be breaking away from him. So, she knew that leaving him in Thailand and promising herself to move on from him was a good idea. The problem was that every time she thought of him or when she came face to face with him, like the day before, her heart beat so fast she could barely think, and forming coherent words of rejection to tell him was very difficult.

She sauntered slowly to the door, checking out the window first to see if Tommy's car was in the driveway. It wasn't. She let a huge breath, one she hadn't even realized she was holding. She opened the door, happy to see Jamie standing in front of her.

"Hey," she said, "Thanks for the help with Tommy yesterday." She motioned for him to come in. "I honestly just could not deal with him – he caught me completely by surprise showing up like that."

"No problem, that's what friends are for," he said, moving into the living room and sitting down. "You home alone?"

"No," Jude said as she joined him on the couch, "Sadie's still upstairs sleeping, Dad's gone to work, though."

"I just came to see how you are. I know how hard it must have been seeing Tommy. I mean I know I don't like the guy but—" Jamie stopped, distracted by Jude who stood up suddenly and ran to the washroom. He sat in the living room alone for a minute, thinking about how often Jude had complained about being sick lately. Then his face dropped as a thought occurred to him.

Jude returned a moment later, looking slightly pale. She took her seat on the couch, relaxing into its plush backing, closing her eyes for a second.

"Are you okay, Jude?"

Her eyes remained shut. "I'll be okay. It takes a minute for the nausea to wear off."

"Jude, as a man, and one who has not so secretly loved you for a very long time, I hate to ask you this but, but I think I need to – could you be pregnant?"

Jude's eyes burst open. She tried thinking when her last period had been. It had always been so irregular and she'd been so stressed lately, she hadn't even noticed. She did know that she hadn't had a period in a while. "Oh my God. What if I am?" She asked, turning to look at Jamie, with a horrified expression on her face.

Jamie could see the shock she was experiencing. "Okay, we don't know anything yet. You'll have to take a test to find out for sure."

"And how am I going to get a test? I can see it all over the media – 'Jude Harrison caught buying pregnancy test – is she or isn't she?' I can't have that. Especially with Tommy back in town now." She looked questioningly at Jamie.

"Jude, you know I love you, but there are some things I won't do – even for you. And buying a pregnancy test is one of those things."

"Well then, who?"

As if on cue, Sadie walked down the stairs, and headed for the kitchen.

Jude and Jamie shared a knowing look before Jude yelled, "Sades, can you come here for a sec?"

Within seconds, Sadie appeared in the doorway of the living room. "Oh, hey Jamie. Yeah, Jude, what is it?"

"I need the biggest favour from you. Can you buy me a pregnancy test?" Jude spit out, before she lost her nerve to ask.

"What???" Sadie yelled, coming further into the living room. "Rewind – you think you might be pregnant… with Tommy's child?"

"Ok, Sadie," Jude said, still sitting in her position on the couch recovering from the nausea and the realization that she might be pregnant, "I'm trying not to have a full-blown panic attack until I know for sure. Which is why I need you to go buy the test for me."

Sadie looked at her sister, and although Jude looked calm on the surface, she could see the panic and the fear lurking in her eyes.

"Alright. I'll be back as soon as I can." Sadie grabbed her purse from her room and hurried out the door.

While she was gone, Jude shifted between pacing and sitting. The minutes Sadie was gone seemed like hours. What if it was true? How could she handle becoming a mom at eighteen? And with things in such a mess with Tommy?

"Jude, calm down," Jamie said, seeing his friend getting more and more worked up as the moments passed.

"I can't. I mean, what if I'm pregnant? Tommy and I… we're not a good fit as a couple. We've tried and we can't make it work. What will we be as parents?" She asked, pacing in front of the spot where Jamie sat on the couch. "And Jamie, I'm eighteen! I'm barely even a legal adult!"

"Jude, if you're pregnant… and you don't want to involve Tommy…. Say it's mine," Jamie said quietly.

Jude's head shot up and she looked in Jamie's direction. "Jamie, you know I can't do that. It wouldn't be fair to you or Tommy. And eventually, a decision like that would hurt you. You know that as well as I do. Thanks for the offer, though," she said, sending a sympathetic smile in his direction.

Jude jumped when she heard the door open, practically running to meet Sadie. "You got it?" she asked.

"Here you go," Sadie said as she handed the bag to Jude. "I bought two, just to be on the safe side."

"Thanks Sadie," Jude said, and she hugged her sister warmly.

'You're welcome," Sadie said, squeezing her sister tightly. "And don't worry, ok? Whatever happens, we'll figure it out."

"Thanks." Jude said, and then walked to the bathroom to do the test.

She came out the bathroom a minute later, and noticed both Jamie and Sadie standing just outside the bathroom door, waiting for the results.

She answered their questioning glances. "I have to wait for four minutes before the test shows an accurate result. And I can't just sit in there waiting for it to show up."

All three of them stood in silence, Jude pacing in front of them. She checked her watch fifty times before four minutes had finally passed. She looked at both Sadie and Jamie before she walked into the bathroom. She felt like she was walking in slow-motion, it seemed to take her a long time to reach the counter where the test was laying.

She picked it up slowly, staring at the result. She turned around, Sadie and Jamie seeing the tears that were already streaming down her cheeks. She walked slowly into Sadie's open arms, her fingers still wrapped around the test. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, burying her head in her sister's shoulder.

Sadie shot a worried look at Jamie as she rubbed Jude's back. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry." Sadie guided her over to the couch where motioned for Jude to sit, and then Sadie sat beside her.

When Jude had finally calmed down a bit, she wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks. "I can't believe it," she said, staring into Sadie's face. "I really can't believe it."

Jamie looked down at his watch, "Jude, I hate to do this, but I have a meeting with Paegan in like two minutes, so I should really get going."

"It's okay Jamie, I've got her." Sadie said, reassuringly.

"Jude, this will be okay. You've got me, and Sadie and your Dad. And Jude, you know my offer still stands, okay?" He leaned down and squeezed Jude's hand, then walked to the foyer and took one more look at Jude's shocked figure before he left.

"Jamie offered to say the baby was his." Jude said, explaining Jamie's comment to a puzzled Sadie.

"You know that's not a good idea, right? I mean, Tommy's a lot of things, but he's not a complete moron." Sadie asked.

"Yeah, I already told Jamie no. Sweet of him to offer, but there's no way I could do that to him… or Tommy." She paused, staring at the test, still clasped in her hand. "How did my life get this complicated? I mean, one minute Tommy and I are happy. The next, I'm not even speaking to him, but I'm carrying his child." Saying the words verbally made it all seem that much more real. "I'm going to be a mom."

"It will be okay. Once you tell Tommy, you two can figure it out. And you've always got me and Dad to help you out."

Jude was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't even heard Sadie. "You know, a lot of women raise babies on their own now, it's not the scandal it used to be. And I've got money, so I don't have to worry about that."

"Jude," Sadie said, shaking her shoulders lightly, "listen to yourself. You're eighteen years old. You can not handle raising this baby on your own. And as angry as you are at Tommy right now, I know you'll hate yourself if you don't tell him. Besides, this is not something you can hide from him, or anyone, forever." Her sister paused. "So, I guess I don't need to ask if you're going to keep the baby."

Jude looked up into her sister's eye, an appalled look on her face. "I have to. This baby is already a part of me and a part of Tommy, probably the only good reminder I'll ever have of the time we spent together."

"Okay, well. Then you have to get a Doctor. And you've got to tell Dad and Tommy."

"Doctor, yes, Dad, yes, Tommy…"she said, shifting her face downward, "Not right now. I can't even face him right now, no less tell him that he's going to be a father."

They talked for a few more minutes, Sadie pleading with Jude to tell Tommy, Jude insisting that she didn't know what she was going to do. Finally Sadie stood up, "Well, I gotta go. I'm meeting Kwest and we're going over to talk to Jamie about working at his new label. He's already offered us both jobs, we just need to iron out the details."

"Okay, well, good luck." Jude said, still concentrating on the test that had changed her life.

"Jude," Sadie said, succeeding in getting her sister's attention as Jude finally looked up at her. "Think about what I said about Tommy, okay?"

"I will," Jude said, smiling weakly.

Sadie left and Jude remained in the living room, still recovering from the shock. Then her stomach growled and she touched her stomach, "You getting hungry there, kid?" Jude smiled, a genuine one, thinking of the child inside her. All the drama in her life wasn't the child's fault. The child was pure, a mix of her and Tommy, something she could hold on to. As the news began to sink in, she began to be happy about the prospect of being a mother even though she was so young. She'd always wanted children, and she'd dreamed of having children with Tommy. And however unconventionally it was occurring, the dream was still happening.

She stood up, shoving the plastic test in her pocket, and made her way to the kitchen.

She pushed the play button the CD player, jamming to some of her own music, figuring it was never too early to expose the baby to music. How she already looked forward to singing to him or her.

She was suddenly startled by a noise behind her and turned to see Tommy standing there watching her with a smile on his face.

"Tommy, you scared me half to death!" Jude yelled, her hand immediately shooting to the test in her pocket to reassure herself that it was still hidden there.

"Well, I knocked on the door, but no one answered. And the door was unlocked." He was still smiling, thinking of the scene he'd walked in on, Jude dancing around her kitchen to her own CD.

"Tommy, what do you want?" Jude asked, a sharp edge to her tone, as she turned around to turn off the music.

"Jude, we have to talk," he said, walking to stand closer to her.

"Actually, I don't think we do," she said, turning to face him. "I heard and saw enough in Thailand, okay?"

"Jude, believe me, I'm not proud of the way I treated you. And I know you must be furious with me. Actually, I know how you feel. I heard another one of your songs. And I am so sorry for making you feel like that. It's the last thing I ever wanted."

The sadness returning to her eyes, "You know the worst part? It's not what you did. It's knowing that you and I can never work. Everytime we try and I get hurt, it's too much to take. And I can't do it anymore. The next time I might not survive it."

Tommy was crushed by her words, by the effect that his actions had on her. "I can't say I'm sorry enough, I know. But I wanna go back. Harrison, you know I love you."

"Tommy," she said, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear, "love isn't enough for us. Love doesn't provide us with a stable relationship. We can't seem to make one of those."

'Jude, all I want is a simple life with you. You're all I want, all I've ever wanted. Just you and me together, no complications. We can have that, I know we can."

His words shot through her heart, and any chance of telling Tommy about the baby vanished. _Simple? Yeah, I knew he wasn't ready for a baby. I knew it_, she thought to her.

"No, we can't, Tommy," she said. "We can't have that. As much as we wish we could, it's just not possible anymore." Her stomach began to turn and she knew what was coming. She cursed her 'morning sickness' for coming while Tommy was here. "Excuse for a minute," she said, rushing to the washroom and attempting to shut the door behind her.

As she sat on the floor in front of the toilet, she took a deep breath. She heard the door open and looked back, seeing Tommy standing in the doorway, a worried expression on his face. "Harrison, are you alright?"

"I think I'm coming down with something," she lied. "I'll be fine."

He knelt down to her level, rubbing her back. "My Mamere used to rub my back when I was sick as a kid. Always seemed to work then." His touch on her back was like magic. She revelled in it, knowing that it was a stolen moment, one that would not be repeated. She silently cursed him for still having this effect on her body, and cursed her own body for still responding to him. The scent of him so close was heaven and it made her remember all the good times they had shared.

"I'm okay," she said, standing up slowly. "But I think I'm going to go lay down. Can we continue this discussion tomorrow?" she asked, needing to get rid of him before she caved into her desire to tell him all and grab him close.

"Sure," he said, hopeful that at least she planned on continuing their discussion and had not immediately thrown him out of the house.

He helped her to the living room, seating her on the couch. "Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I'm just going to sleep it off. Good-bye Tommy," she said, her eyes piercing into his with the sadness present there.

He tried to shrug off the bad feeling he was getting, "Bye, Jude, I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his lips on her skin. Why she allowed him, she didn't know. Actually she did. She relished the kiss, the last one she would ever receive from him.

Then he walked out, glancing at her once more before he walked out the door. Jude watched out the living room window as Tommy sped away, and then she rushed up the stairs to pack a bag. She picked up her cellphone, dialling one of the speed dial numbers.

"Mason? Hey, how are you?"

Mason was surprised to hear her voice, "I'm good, Jude, how are you?"

"Not too good, actually. I was wondering if I could come and stay with you in Nashville for a while." Mason had been in Nashville for the past six months working on his next country album. "I feel like I'm suffocating here and I need to get away from everything and everyone."

"Sure, Jude, you know I'd love to see you. Make sure you tell your family you're leaving. You know how worried they'll be if you don't."

"Don't worry I will. Okay, I'm going to head to the airport tonight, see what flight I can get. I'll call you once I know when I'll be arriving okay?"

"Okay, and I'll meet you at the airport. I can't wait to see you. Talk to you later!"

"Bye," she said, and closed her cell phone. She grabbed a notebook and a pen from her desk and scribbled a short note to Sadie and her dad, explaining that she needed to get away and that she would be in touch. She left the note on the dining room table and made her way out to her car. As she drove away, she thought of how everyone would react when they found her missing and she felt bad. But, with everything Tommy said about wanting simplicity, she knew she couldn't tell him about the baby. She felt scared and trapped and alone. As she drove down the highway, she wiped away the tears that she couldn't help from crying. Then she put one hand on her stomach. "It'll be okay, baby. Just you and your mama. We'll be fine, just the two of us."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Jude opened her eyes slowly, trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. At first she was a little startled, until she remembered where exactly she was. She had arrived in Nashville late last night and Mason had been kind enough not to prod her about her need for this hasty getaway. He'd also been nice enough to insist she sleep in his bed instead of the couch in the living room. She lay, staring at the ceiling thinking of what she was going to do now. She hadn't thought that far ahead when she'd decided to run away.

She heard Mason stirring in the apartment and she dragged herself out of bed to go and talk to him. She knew she had to tell him what was going on and she didn't see the point of prolonging the agony any further.

As she opened the bedroom door, she saw him in the kitchen, making eggs and toast. He turned to say hello, and smiled at her. She started to return the greeting when the smell of the eggs reached her nostrils, immediately causing a nauseous feeling to rise in her throat. She ran for the washroom, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. It's not like Mason wouldn't know in a minute what was going on, anyway.

Mason rushed to the washroom after her, waiting until she stopped retching before saying, "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Jude turned her head quickly, looking at him in shock. He answered her questioning gaze, "I've seen the signs before, besides I knew there had to be a reason for your sudden need to leave Toronto."

"It's Tommy's," Jude said, simply.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that. Anyone who has ever seen the two of you together wouldn't think anything else."

"Well, he doesn't know yet. It's him I'm running from. See, I went to Thailand with him. We were together –like, officially a couple. Of course, the media didn't know because we were in Thailand. But then, as per normal, Tommy broke my heart, and in the process proved to me that I can no longer let him be a romantic option. So I left him in Thailand, vowing that I would never worry about Tommy Quincy again. Well, that wasn't going very well. But, to make matters even more complicated, then—"

"Then you found out you were pregnant." Mason finished, reaching out his hands to help Jude stand up.

"Exactly," Jude said, as she took Mason's hands and stood up. He kept his arm around her and helped her to the couch as she still seemed a bit shaky. "And yesterday, Tommy came to me, saying that he wanted a simple relationship, just him and I, and I panicked. Tommy is not ready for this."

"Not to play devil's advocate or anything, but are you ready? I mean, did you think before you found out, that you would be ready to be a mom at eighteen?"

"Well, no, I didn't think I would be. But I've searched inside myself and realized that it's okay. I'll make it work. I know it's only been a day, but this baby is part of me…and Tommy. And that makes it worth everything to me."

"So, what makes you think Tommy wouldn't adjust, just like you did?" Mason asked sincerely.

"Well, because he's Tommy. And freaking out is what he does," she paused. "I know that's unfair, that what I'm doing is unfair. But I need time to prepare myself."

"Well, you can stay here as long as you like." Mason said, getting up to finish preparing breakfast. "I guess eggs are out of the question, right?" he asked, smiling.

Jude smiled weakly, even the mention of eggs making her feel queasy.

Tommy paced back and forth in Jude's living room, feeling partially angry and partially worried. He was worried because he didn't know where she was. This was new for him – whenever they were separated before, he always knew Jude was safely in Toronto with her family or on tour with hundreds of people keeping an eye on her. Now, she could be anywhere, with anyone.

He was mad because she had lied to him, making it seem like she would actually be here to finish their conversation. He should've known there was more to the sadness he'd sensed in her eyes. And from what he could find out from Sadie, Jude must have left almost immediately after he saw her. So, he could only take her disappearance as a deliberate attempt to avoid him. She was planning on escaping from him – for who knows how long. He didn't think it was a good sign that she hadn't told anyone where she was going. This made him wonder – Jude had never been one to run from anything before. She was always direct and honest with him, telling him if something bothered her, always bugging him to share his frustrations with her. So why would she run this time? What had her that scared?

He looked up to see Sadie on the phone in the foyer. She hung up, clearly frustrated.

"Nothing?" Tommy asked, walking closer to her.

"Nope. I've talked to everyone I can think of, the employees she was friends with at G-Major, and her high school friends. Nobody knows anything."

Jamie burst through the front door, a terrified expression on his face. He looked at Tommy briefly, and then turned to Sadie. "Any sign?"

"Nothing."

"How's your dad holding up?"

Sadie's eyes were bloodshot, and she had to wipe away a few tears that escaped her eyes. "He's going crazy. He's so worried. We haven't heard anything from her at all. He's still out checking different places for any sign of her." Kwest joined the group, coming from the kitchen holding two cups of fresh coffee. He handed them to Sadie and Tommy and then he put his arm around Sadie, trying to reassure her.

None of them had gotten any sleep last night. As soon as Sadie found the note, she called her father, Tommy, Jamie and Kwest and they split up checking all the train and bus stations and the airport. There was no sign of her anywhere.

Tommy drank his coffee in two gulps, placed the mug on the table and began pacing again. "Who have we missed? Where else could she go?" Tommy was trying to keep himself from becoming frantic. But with every passing moment that she didn't call and they didn't find her, he worried more and more that something had happened to her. He brushed a hand through his hair roughly. _here was she?_

The ringing of Sadie's cell phone broke through everyone's silent thoughts.

She grabbed it immediately, "Hello?"

"Hey sis," Jude said, on the other end of the line.

"Jude!!!! Where the hell are you?? We're all worried sick!" Sadie yelled, her hand shaking so badly she could barely maintain her grasp on the phone.

Tommy turned immediately at the sound of Jude's name and rushed over to Sadie.

"Sadie, I'm okay. I just need some time. Just keep everyone calm. I'm fine. I'm safe. And I'll be in touch,"

"Jude?? Wait-" Sadie began, and Tommy grabbed the phone.

"Jude!!?" he said. But all he heard was the dial tone. He hung up the phone and handed it back to Sadie, clearly frustrated. Without another word, he walked outside.

Minutes later, Tommy heard a noise behind him and figured it was Kwest checking to see if he was okay. He turned around and saw that it wasn't Kwest – it was Jamie.

He turned back around, no energy left in him for a fight.

"I don't want to fight. Look I know you're worried about her," Jamie said.

"Yeah? So, what's that to you…" Tommy said, still looking forward, down the street and not at Jamie.

"Look, I know you try to act all tough and cool. But I can see how much Jude means to you. And I just wanted to tell you that she'll be okay. She always is. Did she ever tell you about the time she ran away when she was ten?"

Tommy finally turned to look at the man who was now standing beside him.

"No, she didn't tell me that one," Tommy said.

"Well, she was mad because Sadie had won something, I'm not sure what, and all the attention was on Sadie. So, she screamed at her parents that they didn't love her and she ran. She just took off down the street and kept running. Well, obviously we all went looking for her, but no one could find her. And we were getting more worried and more worried. And finally at about 11 o'clock that night, I saw her walking slowly down the street towards her house. I ran in and told her parents she was coming and they ran outside to meet her. And things moved on like it had never happened. But, the point is, she didn't come back until she was ready. And when she was ready, she came back to the people who loved her. Because ultimately Jude knows where she belongs. And as much as I hate to admit it – I've always known that where she belongs, where she truly wants to be, is with you."

Tommy was shocked to hear these words coming from Jamie. "So, how come she doesn't see that?"

"She's mad and she's hurt, and I don't think you can really blame her for that, can you? But when that subsides, and it will take a while because you and I both know how stubborn Jude is, she'll realize. When she came back from Asia alone, she was devastated. I've never seen her so low, and I've known her my entire life. And, honestly I wanted to kill you. We all did. But then I realized that only a person you truly love can hurt you so badly that they push you that low. And that's also the only person who can truly love you, make you feel things you never thought possible. And for Jude, that person is you. As much as I wish it wasn't," Jamie said, turning to go back in the house, "I can't change the truth."

Tommy watched him walk back inside the house, wondering when Jamie had grown up and become so smart. Jude deserved someone mature like him. But, if Jamie was right, and Tommy prayed that he was, the only person Jude truly wanted was him. Undeserving Tommy Quincy, the man who had broken her heart countless times.

He pulled out his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts for anyone they might have missed, anyone else Jude might have turned to.

He reached Mason's name and stopped. He didn't think anyone had called him yet. He dialled it quickly and almost immediately Mason answered.

"Mason, it's Tom Quincy. I need to know something important. Has Jude Harrison made contact with you in the last 24 hours, called you or come to see you or anything?"

"Jude…" Mason said, Tommy sensing something tentative in his voice. "Nope, I think the last time I talked to her was earlier this week."

"Mason, are you sure? This is really important." Tommy said, pleading with him.

"I'm sure. But if I hear anything, I'll let you know, okay? Cheers," he said and hung up.

Tommy closed his phone, thinking that Mason sounded really nervous and unsure of what he should say. He was almost certain that Jude was with him – but where was Mason? Now that G-Major was gone, there were no records on where their former artists were located.

He walked back in the house. "I think I know who she's with," Tommy announced, and everyone turned to look at him. "Mason."

"Does anyone know where Mason is these days?"

Tommy looked into everyone's puzzled faces. "Jude was the only one who kept in contact with him," Sadie replied. "So, it also makes sense why she'd choose to stay with him."

"Great," Tommy said, wishing he could find something to punch. "Just great. Another dead end."

Jude had a nice day with Mason, touring his record label while he was in the studio. It was a great environment for making music and she considered laying down some tracks while she was staying with him.

When he was done for the day, they got some take-out and ate dinner at his apartment. Once they were done, they were lounging lazily on the couch, watching TV, when Jude turned to him, "Mason, I can't thank you enough. You're a lifesaver."

"You're welcome. Just don't ask me to lie to Tommy Q again. I'm a horrible liar, and I don't think he bought it."

"You did great," she said yawning widely.

"Ok, Mama Harrison, it's time for bed for you," Mason said, motioning for her to go to the bedroom.

"This is your apartment. I don't want to steal your bed," Jude said, not moving from the couch.

"Jude, you're the one in the fragile condition," Mason said, "OWWW!" he yelled as Jude hit him on the arm.

"Fragile?? I'm not fragile," she said, laughing.

Mason held up his arms defensively, "Ok, I promise never to call you fragile again!! But seriously, I insist you take the bed."

She yawned again, "Well, if you insist," she said, getting up and moving towards the bedroom door. "Goodnight Mason," she said and he waved in response.

She closed the door, changed into her pyjamas and then she hopped into bed. She lay awake for a while, unable to sleep. Her mind was swimming with thoughts. She'd heard Tommy's voice for a second before she'd hung up the phone after talking to Sadie. He sounded so worried. She put her hand on her stomach. "I hate worrying everyone, especially your Daddy. But I have to figure things out before I can face any of them," she said. "I love you already," she continued, rubbing her stomach, "and I know I should give your dad the same chance. Soon. I'll tell him soon," she said, her eyes growing heavy. And within minutes, she was sound asleep, her hand still resting on her stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

She'd been in Nashville for two weeks; she loved it there, the musical environment was great and she was having fun with Mason. And she'd become so accustomed to the fact she was pregnant. She couldn't stop talking to the baby; it was a habit she'd picked up the last week or so. And she knew she probably looked crazy, but when she touched her stomach, imagining the life inside and spoke to it, she couldn't imagine a better feeling.

Even though she was enjoying her time with Mason, her conscience kept nagging at her that she couldn't hide there forever, and she couldn't keep the truth from her dad or Tommy for much longer. She knew she was going to have to face reality soon, so she decided to allow herself two more days with Mason before she left. Besides, she and Mason were working on an amazing song and she wanted to stay until they were done. Jude was producing it for Mason and she was so excited to stretch her producing muscles.

She was spending that day with Mason at the studio working on the song. They worked on it for most of the morning before taking a break for lunch.

"We could have kept working, you know," Jude said as they walked outside on their way to a nearby restaurant.

"No, no. Mama Harrison has to eat. And I'm here to make sure that she does," Mason quipped.

"I'm getting used to the sound of that," Jude said laughing. Her face took on a more contemplative expression. "I really am getting excited about it. I mean, not that I think I'm ready for a baby in any way, but the thought of a new life is so amazing." The sadness invaded her eyes, "I just wish I had Tommy to share it with. I'm so worried about how he's going to react. But I know I can't keep running anymore. It's unfair and he deserves to know. And I can't stand the stress anymore. I have to face whatever reaction he has. And my dad too. How's he going to feel about his 18 year old daughter being pregnant? Not very good, I imagine."

"Your dad will adjust. And personally I think Tommy will surprise you."

"I hope you're right," she said as they arrived at the restaurant.

They were eating appetizers, chatting happily when Jude suddenly cringed in pain, grabbing her stomach. A sharp pain, unlike any she had ever felt ripped through her stomach, and she couldn't help the tears that came. Mason immediately jumped out of his seat and ran to her side of the table, kneeling beside her.

"Jude, what's wrong?" He asked, giving her one of his hands to squeeze.

"I don't know," she said, her voice tinged with fear and pain. He looked into her eyes and he saw the terror residing there. He pulled out his cell phone and called 911, silently praying that everything would be okay.

No one knew where Mason was. Someone Tommy talked to thought he was in Nashville, but he didn't have an actual specific address. Tommy walked into his apartment and slammed the door hard. It temporarily relieved some of his aggression, but the relief didn't last long. He had so many emotions floating around within – anger, sadness, fear, worry. And he didn't know what to do with them all.

His cell phone rang and he contemplated not answering it. He was tired, he hadn't slept in days and he just wanted to crash for a few hours. But he had to answer, just in case it was Jude or someone calling to say they knew where she was.

"Hello?" he said wearily.

"Tommy, it's Sadie," she said, brokenly. Tommy could hear her crying as she stopped speaking.

"Sadie, what's wrong?"

"Can you meet me at the airport? It's Jude. We have to get to Jude," Sadie said, between sobs.

Tommy could feel the ground fall out from under him, "Is she okay?" he asked, his heart beating rapidly.

"I don't know. I just got a call from Mason. He had to rush her to the hospital."

"Oh my God," Tommy said, unable to bring air into his lungs. "Ok, I'll be at the airport as soon as I can." He hung up and literally ran out the door, haunted by Sadie's words.

Tommy arrived at the airport 20 minutes later, rushing to the departure gate, and he immediately saw Stuart and Sadie.

"Do you know anything? What happened?"

"Mason was in the ambulance with her and he didn't have a lot of information. The only thing I know is that they were out and Jude doubled over in pain all of a sudden," Sadie said, her eyes bloodshot from the tears she'd shed. "We already got your ticket. The flight leaves soon, I think we're supposed to board in ten minutes" she said, handing the ticket to him. Stuart didn't speak at him, only looked at him disapprovingly.

The flight was long and tense; all he could do was think about Jude. He wondered if she was okay, and what exactly had happened to her.

As soon as they arrived in Nashville, they got a cab and rode directly to the hospital, where they found Mason in the waiting room.

"How's Jude?" Tommy asked directly.

"She's still in with them, they haven't told me anything. They said they could only disclose information to family." Mason replied, the worry evident in his eyes.

Just then a nurse approached, "Are you Jude Harrison's family?" she asked.

"I'm her father," Stuart replied, the only words Tommy had heard him say since they'd left Toronto.

I need you to fill out these medical forms," she said, handing him a clipboard.

"How is my daughter?"

"She's stable. The doctors are still doing a thorough check on her to identify what caused the pain she felt."

"Can we see her?" Tommy asked.

"She's groggy and she can only have one visitor at a time."

"Tommy, you go," Sadie said. "We'll fill out these forms."

Tommy nodded, thankful, and followed the nurse to Jude's room. He walked in, seeing Jude sleeping peacefully, and sat in the chair beside the bed. She looked pale and weak. He realized he still had no idea why she was even brought into the hospital. He reached for her hand, and brought it to his lips. "I'm here, Jude," he said, simply.

She immediately began to stir, mumbling in her sleep. "Baby…my baby…"

Tommy's head shot up at her words. _She must be dreaming,_ he thought and kissed her hand softly. "Baby, you're okay."

The doctor came in, looking at her chart and her vitals.

"How is she doing?" Tommy asked.

"Much better. Although, it's a good thing she came in when she did."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Medically nothing. But emotional stress can bring on severe cramping. The baby's fine, but it's always better to come in when you're experiencing the kind of pain she was. I understand how scary it can be too."

"Baby?"

"Yes," the doctor looked at him curiously, "she's about 2 months pregnant. And my best advice to her is to avoid the kind of severe stress she must have been under. I can not see any reason why the rest of her pregnancy shouldn't pass smoothly."

"Thank you, doctor," Tommy said, and the doctor sailed out of the room.

"Oh my God," Tommy said, squeezing Jude's hand, "we're having a baby." He wasn't sure exactly what he felt, he knew there was a mixture of shock, happiness, fear and a million other things passing through him. _But you didn't tell me,_ he thought, realizing how alone and scared she must have felt, and yet she didn't trust him enough to tell him. "I'm sorry Jude. I'm sorry that I hurt you so badly you felt you couldn't tell me," he whispered.

After a while of sitting with her, just watching her sleep and absorbing the news, he returned to the waiting room to allow one of the others in to see her.

Her dad went in, glaring at Tommy as he passed him, and Tommy turned to Sadie and Mason. "Did you guys know about the baby?"

"I knew," Sadie said. "When Mason called, he told me he was afraid Jude was losing the baby. And I called you because I knew you should be here if that was the case. Luckily, it's not."

"No, thank God," Tommy whispered to himself. "Does Stuart know?"

"He didn't, not until the doctor told him just now. He's shocked to say the least. And if I were you, I would avoid my dad for a while," Sadie said.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Tommy said, more to himself than anyone, and he sat down in the waiting room, lost in his own thoughts.

Once everyone had been into see Jude, the doctor came and told them that they were keeping Jude in the hospital for observation overnight, but that they could come back in the morning. Everyone except Tommy headed out, Tommy saying he needed a minute to himself before he left. As soon as he watched them leave, he crept back to Jude's room, taking the seat by the bed again. She was still sleeping soundly. Regardless of the rules, he had to stay with her. He wasn't letting her out of his sight again.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Jude woke to the steady sound of a heartbeat. She opened her eyes and looked around the room, noticing immediately that she was in the hospital and the sound of the heartbeat was her own. She was dumbfounded to see Tommy sleeping, clearly uncomfortably, in the chair beside her bed, one of his hands linked with one of hers. Jude wondered immediately what had happened, how Tommy had gotten here. She tried to think back, but could only remember bits and pieces. She remembered being at a restaurant with Mason, then the excruciating pain. Somewhere along the way she must have passed out because she didn't remember anything after that.

Her thoughts immediately went to the baby – she was in a lot of abdominal pain. Was the baby okay?? She was about to call a nurse when she saw Tommy's eyes flutter open. His eyes locked on her and he smiled sweetly.

"Hey," he said softly, leaning towards the bed, squeezing her hand gently.

"Hey," Jude said nervously. She didn't know what he knew or what he was even doing here.

Tommy sensed her anxiety and said, "I know Jude."

"You know that I'm… that we're…" Jude stammered.

"Having a baby? Yes," Tommy said, not breaking eye contact with her. He was still smiling and Jude figured this could not be a bad sign. As much as Jude had feared telling him, she was so relieved that he knew, that she could finally just deal with whatever reaction he would have to the news.

"And?" Jude asked.

"Well, honestly I'm still trying to absorb the news. I mean in the past twenty-four hours I've learned that you were rushed to the hospital, and then I arrived to find out that you are carrying my child. It's a lot of shock for one person to take at one time."

His words reminded her of why she was in here, "Is the baby okay?"

Tommy smiled again, "The baby's fine. The doctor was in late last night and he said that the baby should be fine if you avoid the type of stress you were carrying."

Jude felt exhilarated. Her baby was okay. She couldn't help but smile widely, feeling like she was bursting with joy.

"Oh, Tommy, I was so scared. I thought I was losing the baby, and then I realized that if that happened that you wouldn't even have known at all. And that was unfair," she looked at him sincerely, "I'm sorry Tommy, I should have told you. I was just scared. Not that that's a good excuse. But it's the only explanation I have."

Tommy leaned even closer to her, "Jude, you don't need to apologize. I have to admit I was mad, damn angry, that you didn't tell me. I was mad that you ran from me, and I was scared for you when I didn't hear from you, scared that something had happened to you. But whatever I felt before doesn't matter. All I feel now is relief that you and the baby are both okay. Jude, if something happened to you, I'd go crazy," he said, his voice cracking with the intensity of his emotions. "When Sadie called me and told me you had been rushed to the hospital all I could think was what would happen if you weren't okay. I would never get to touch you again," he said, lifting his hand to caress her cheek, "or tell you that I love you, or even just talk to you. And I realized my life would mean nothing, it would be empty without you. And Jude, I understand that you're angry with me. After all the times I've hurt you, I don't deserve the fact that you even speak to me, but I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to be in your life, and the baby's, again."

Jude reached out and grasped his hand tightly. "Tommy," she said, "before I say what I have to say, just remember that I love you. Nothing could or ever will change that."

Tommy smiled, looking hopeful. Then Jude began speaking again, crushing all those hopes to the ground.

"But that doesn't mean I think we should be together again. For some screwed up reason, you and I can't make a relationship work. And I'm afraid the more we try, the more we'll both get hurt," Jude looked into Tommy's distraught face. "I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you want to hear," she said quietly. "Tommy, right now I need to do what's best for the baby. And both the baby and I need you. I need support because, honestly, I've never been more scared in my life. I'm going to need you more than ever now, being pregnant and then once our baby is actually born. And our baby will need his or her father. So, I want you to be my friend, Tommy, my support, the person our baby and I can turn to. But I can't offer you anything more than that. Anything else would just lead to complications and heartbreak for all of us," Jude said, lowering her eyes.

For some reason, at the exact moment when Tommy was receiving this discouraging news from Jude, Jamie's words from a few weeks earlier came flooding back to him. "_Ultimately Jude knows where she belongs. And as much as I hate to admit it – I've always known that where she belongs, where she truly wants to be, is with you."_ And for some inexplicable reason, regardless of the fact that Jude was telling him she just wanted to be his friend, Tommy felt an overwhelming sense of hope. Hope that one day soon he and Jude would be together because, as cheesy as it might sound, he knew that he and Jude were meant to spend their lives together. It's not like Jude didn't love him, she even admitted that she did love him. And he sure as hell loved her, more than he ever thought possible.

"Okay, Jude. If that's all you're willing to give for now, then I'll take it. I'll be your friend. But one day, you'll want more and I'll be here, waiting," Tommy said, smiling.

Jude was disconcerted, "Tommy, you're not listening. This isn't just for now."

Tommy laughed, "Face the facts, Harrison. You're never getting rid of me. And one day, one day soon, you'll realize you don't want rid of me, in fact you want everything that I want. But until that day, I won't pressure you. Besides, we have an awful lot to think about."

Jude smiled, putting her free hand, the one that Tommy wasn't still holding, on her stomach. "I would say so."

"I want you to move in with me," Tommy said suddenly, the thought hitting him of the blue.

"Tommy, I don't need to. I've got a home of my own."

"Jude, look, you and I are going to be doing this parenting thing together. I think it would be good for us to live together, to experience all aspects of your pregnancy together in order to get ready for the actual parenting part. Besides, I want to be there for you, to go out and get your midnight cravings and rub your feet when they're sore and share with you all the random baby facts I learn and I can't unless we live together," Tommy said, knowing his powers of persuasion were working on Jude. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was definitely considering it.

She looked up, her eyes locking with his. "Okay. I'll move in with you, Quincy, for the sake of the baby. But remember what I said. You and I are just friends, no more. And that's the way it stays."

Tommy smiled at his victory, "Whatever you say Jude," he said, smirking devilishly. "Now, what about the press? Obviously, we have to tell Darius and figure out some way to break the news to the press."

"I wish we didn't have to tell them," Jude said, "but that's not an option. And I think it's better to be up-front about it. Maybe just a simple press release announcing that I'm pregnant, you're the father and we're going to be amicable co-parents."

"Well, we'll talk to everyone close to us once we get back. Suffice to say, I think everyone else is going to be a little shocked at this turn of events. Then we'll worry about the press."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation and they both turned to see Mason.

"Do you mind if I visit with Mama Harrison for a minute?" Mason asked, waiting in the doorway.

"Not at all. Actually I'm going to go get some coffee," Tommy said, standing and leaning down to kiss Jude's forehead, "I'll be back," he whispered. Then he soared out the door, smiling at Mason as he left.

"Well, he certainly was happy." Mason stated, sitting in the seat Tommy had vacated.

"Well, I agreed to move in with him. And actually, he seems surprisingly happy about the baby," Jude said, smiling despite herself.

"Well, well. That's good to hear."

"Actually, things are good. I made it clear that we can't be involved romantically, but that I want him in my life to be a father to the baby."

"Jude, I hate to break your bubble, but Tommy didn't look like someone who had been convinced that his romantic prospect with you had just been crushed."

Jude glared at him. "Okay, so maybe it will take a bit more convincing. But he'll get it. I just have to be strong and resist him."

Mason laughed loudly, "Like that ever worked before!"

Jude continued to glare at him. "Where are my dad and Sadie, anyway?"

"They both crashed at my place last night and they were still sleeping when I left. I figured since you really are okay that I would let them sleep and they could come when they woke up."

Jude shot Mason a look of deep appreciation and reached for his hand. "I don't think I've thanked you yet. You took good care of me and you didn't panic at the restaurant but got me the help I needed. I will always be grateful for your kindness, letting me stay with you, and everything you've done for me and my baby. My baby's going to have some amazing uncles. Think about it – you, Spiederman, Wally, Kyle," Jude laughed. "He or she will have one wild childhood with all of you guys hanging around."

"Jude, I love you like a sister and whenever you or your baby need anything, you know I'm here. Any day, any time. And I'm sure the SME guys will feel absolutely the same way. You're important to all of us Jude."

"Thanks, Mason," Jude whispered, her eyes beginning to tear up; she grabbed Mason into a hug, "I'm sorry. I'm seriously hormonal right now," she quipped, laughing happily.

As Tommy walked backed to Jude's room from the cafeteria, he couldn't believe how far things had come. A couple of weeks ago, Jude was so angry and hurt that he was afraid she would never even speak to him again. Now, they were having a baby together and he and Jude had regained the comfortable, relaxed feeling when they were together that they had developed almost instantly on their first meeting. Tommy wasn't delusional, he knew he'd done a lot of damage and that he had a lot of ground to make up before he could win her back. He felt the wall she trying to build between their friendship and any possible move towards a romantic relationship. He just had to find a way to break it down.

He reached the room just as Mason was leaving, and also just as the doctor was going in. The doctor was bringing a monitor of some sort with him and worry shot through him that Jude's condition had changed. He rushed in, "Is everything okay?"

Jude was smiling, her eyes glistening with emotion. "It's fine! Tommy, come here, they're going to let us hear the baby's heartbeat!!" Jude said, motioning for Tommy to sit on the edge of the bed beside her. It took a few minutes for the doctor to set up the machine, and all of sudden, they could hear the baby's quick, steady heartbeat fill the room. Tommy watched Jude, her face glowing, the joy permeating from the inside out. He couldn't believe that he was listening to his child's heartbeat, a child he made with Jude.

"It's a miracle," he said softly, and Jude turned her head towards him, grabbing his hands in her own.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked, the smile on her face wider and happier than he'd ever seen.

She released one of her hands from his grasp and touched her stomach. "We hear you, baby. Loud and clear."

Tommy looked at her curiously. "You talk to it already?" he asked, smiling at the idea.

"All the time. Why don't you try it?" she asked, reaching for his hand and placing it on her stomach.

"Hey little baby," he whispered, rubbing Jude's stomach gently. "It's your daddy. I'm glad we got to meet at last," he said, and Jude felt tears flowing down her cheeks, matching the one streaming down Tommy's.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

She was going home. And she couldn't have been happier. She had spent three days in the hospital and she was more than ready to be freed from there. Her stay in the hospital had been eye-opening where Tommy was concerned. She had seen a different side of him; he had been incredible, almost never leaving her side. He only left the hospital to shower and change and then he returned to her hospital room. He had slept in her hospital room at night, regardless of Jude's insistence that he would be more comfortable at Mason's apartment or even a hotel. She had insisted that Sadie and her dad return to Toronto the day after she had been admitted. She knew they both had lives, jobs and more important things to do than sit around a hospital waiting for the doctors to release her. She had begun to tell Tommy the same thing, that he could return to Toronto without her, and he had interrupted her with a simple "No."

Jude was sitting on her hospital bed, fully dressed, waiting for her release papers to be processed. The doctor had given her a clean bill of health, just warning her to avoid stress. Tommy had promised the doctor that he would make the happen, which seemed completely ironic to Jude since Tommy had always been the source of most of her stress. But now that they were getting along and everything was out in the open, Jude did have to admit that she felt much more relaxed. Except for telling the remaining friends that didn't know and dealing with the press, all she had to do for the next nine months was prepare for her baby.

Tommy was out in the hall, on his cell phone, making flight arrangements to Toronto. Jude could hear his voice spread into her room every so often, his voice a comfort. This was a major change, considering just over a month ago Jude had decided to rid her life of Tommy for good. And yet, here they were, friends again. Jude could barely believe how good things with Tommy were. They had settled back into their old friendship, one of teasing and joking, that they had begun when Tommy initially became her producer. It was like nothing had changed – except something major had changed. They now had two failed relationship attempts between them and they were having a baby together. It mystified her that they were even speaking after all they had been through. But they were, and Jude was so happy.

She kept warning herself not to be too happy with Tommy. That's how all the problems began in the first place. She wanted to be his friend, that's it. No matter how much her heart, her body and her soul ached for a deeper connection with Tommy, she couldn't allow it. She had to shield her heart from the kind of hurt he always seemed to bring her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She looked up to see Mason, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey Mama Harrison. How are we feeling today?" He asked, gesturing towards her stomach.

"I'm fine, the baby's fine. We're both anxious to get out of this hospital, though," Jude replied, motioning for Mason to come and sit on the bed with her.

"I heard Tommy in the hall making flight arrangements. I guess that means you're leaving me, huh?" Mason said, sadness evident in his eyes.

Jude smiled sympathetically. "Mason I had such a good time here. Besides, you know exactly where I'll be."

"And if I can't find you, I'll phone Tommy. Because I'm pretty sure he plans on attaching himself to your side," Mason said, chuckling.

"Stop that," Jude said jokingly, pointing her finger at him. "We're just-"

"Friends, I know. So I've been told," Mason said, smirking.

"We are!" Jude said indignantly, punching him lightly.

"Now, that's not fair because I can't punch you back."

"Says who?" Jude asked.

"Says me," Tommy injected lightly as he came into the room, "No hitting pregnant girls, especially my pregnant girl."

Jude raised her eyebrows at his possessive statement, glaring at him.

Tommy, smirking despite himself, began to explain and then stopped. "Oh, you know what I meant," he said, laughing. Jude was afraid she knew _exactly_ what he meant. She longed to be _his_ girl again, she never stopped wanting that. But she couldn't, and her brain knew exactly why. Explaining it to her heart was more difficult.

"Anyway," Jude said, deciding that a change of subject was a smart idea, "have you heard when I might be released?"

"I'll go check at the nurse's station," Tommy said, strolling out of the room.

Jude looked towards Mason who had a knowing look on his face.

"Shut up!" Jude said.

"I didn't say anything," Mason replied, holding his hands up defensively.

"No, but you were thinking that you're right about Tommy and me. And you're not. Friends. That's it."

"I think someone forgot to inform Tommy," Mason quipped, still smirking.

Jude glared at him. "I hate you, you know," she joked.

"No you don't. You love me. And I love you. And I'll miss you, Mama Harrison." Mason said, the sadness returning to his eyes again.

"I told you I was hormonal," Jude said, her eyes tearing up, "You're going to make me cry. And I do love you. You're a great friend and I'll never forget it." Jude pulled him into a hug, kissing his cheek lightly.

"No wonder you wanted me out of the room," Tommy said, coming back in the door with papers in his hand, "You wanted me out so you could make your move on her," he joked, smiling, fully aware of Mason's sexual orientation.

Mason laughed loudly. "Sorry, Jude. But you're just not my type."

She smiled but was distracted by the papers in Tommy's hand. "Are those what I'm hoping they are?" she asked hopefully.

Tommy handed her the papers, "Just sign on the line and we're out of here." He handed her a pen and she scribbled her signature. "We'll return those to the desk on the way out," Tommy said, taking the papers back and putting an arm around Jude's back to help her get down from the bed.

"I'm okay," she assured him, but he left his arm around her waist anyway. Mason winked at her secretly, that devious smirk returning to his face, and it took all Jude's willpower to stop herself from kicking him. He was determined to turn Tommy's attentiveness into something more. She had to admit normally she would have read more into it too, but she had made her intentions clear to Tommy. So instead of analysing what he was doing, she simply enjoyed the feel of his arm around her and kept walking. Tommy walked over to the desk to return the papers and Jude smacked Mason lightly. "Stop that!" she whispered. He just laughed lightly and Tommy looked at them both oddly as he returned to Jude's side.

When they reached the cab that Tommy had called to pick them up, it was time to say 'goodbye' to Mason. Tommy shook his hand, and thanked him sincerely for looking after Jude and their baby. Mason smiled in return, and Jude grabbed him in a tight hug, tears in both of their eyes.

"I'll come to Toronto as soon as my album is wrapped, I promise."

"You better!" Jude said.

"Take care and I'll see you as soon as I can!" Mason said, "Bye!" Then he walked to his own car and took off for the studio.

"I'm going to miss him," Jude said simply as she and Tommy stood, watching him drive away.

Tommy put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her close. "I know. But you'll see him soon."

She smiled at the closeness, enjoying the safety she always felt when wrapped in Tommy's arms.

"Well, we better get going," she said, finally. Tommy released her and then opened the door of the cab for her to get in. Tommy put Jude's bags, which he had previously picked up at Mason's, into the trunk, and settled into the back of the cab beside her.

As the driver made his way to the airport, Tommy put his arm around Jude's shoulders. "You happy to be going home?" he asked, leaning close to her.

"I am," she said, turning towards him. "I'll be relieved when everyone knows and the baby isn't some big secret anymore."

"Me too," he said simply. The rest of the cab ride was spent in a comfortable silence, neither one needing to say anything. They were both absorbed in thoughts of going home, and what new challenges going home would present.

As they boarded the plane, Jude was glad that Tommy had been able to procure two first class tickets. She had to admit, she was looking forward to the extra comfort that first class provided. But because it was such a last minute trip, they weren't seated together. As Jude made her way to her seat, a row ahead and across the aisle from where Tommy was sitting, she saw that the other seat was already occupied.

"Hello," the man said, smiling, making room for Jude to get to her seat at the window. As soon as she was seated, he turned towards her, "My name is Kevin O'Connell. And I have to admit I already know who you are, Jude Harrison. My ex-girlfriend was a huge fan of yours." He smiled at her again, and she had to admit he was very cute. Nothing like Tommy's stunning good looks but he was cute, with light brown hair and glasses, which made him look intellectual.

As she turned towards him, she caught a glimpse of Tommy, who was glaring angrily at Kevin. _It's going to be a long flight,_ she thought to herself.

She made conversation with Kevin, every so often looking back slightly, noticing that Tommy, who was sitting beside a beautiful young woman, was still glaring in Kevin's direction. When the flight attendant brought around complimentary champagne, Jude refused and Kevin looked at her curiously.

"I'm pregnant," she said, answering his look.

"Oh really? Wow, congratulations," he said, clearly surprised.

Their conversation was interrupted when Kevin felt a strong poke on his shoulder. Jude looked up to see Tommy standing in the aisle, "Excuse me," he said, barely containing his fury, "could I ask a favour of you? Could we possibly switch seats? This is my girlfriend and I was hoping we could sit together."

Jude was about to interject, to say that wasn't necessary, when she looked into Tommy's eyes and saw the barely suppressed jealousy. She kept quiet, thinking to herself that she was happy she still brought those feelings out in him. Although she'd have to set him straight about him calling her his girlfriend.

"Of course," Kevin said, unbuckling his seat belt and gathering his things. He turned towards Jude, "It was nice to meet you." Then he vacated his seat and moved to his new seat while Tommy sat down next to Jude.

Jude just stared at him, not saying a word. He turned towards her, noticing her gaze. "What?" he asked.

"What was that all about, Tommy? Your girlfriend?"

Tommy looked at her, questioningly. "What did you want me to do, explain the whole story?"

"You could have just stayed in your own seat," Jude mused, grabbing a magazine out of her purse.

"No," Tommy muttered softly, "believe me, I couldn't." Jude decided to leave the issue alone, focusing on her magazine.

Within half an hour, she began yawning widely, but she couldn't find a comfortable position to get to sleep. Tommy noticed this, lifting the arm rest between them, and lifting his arm for her to snuggle beside him.

She looked at him puzzled. Friends didn't do things like that. "Do you want a nice nap, or not?" He asked. "We've napped together before, remember?" Of course, she remembered. Besides sleeping in his arms every night in Thailand, on her seventeenth birthday, when they'd been trapped inside the old club, she had slept in his arms. And she could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that sleeping in Tommy's arms always was the best sleep she had ever had. She really couldn't resist sleeping like that again.

She moved tentatively towards him, and nestled her head against his shoulder, placing her arms on his chest. And within minutes they were both sleeping soundly.

They arrived at the airport in Toronto at 10:00 pm. They were both still tired, a few hours of sleep on the plane never enough, regardless of how nice it had been. And Jude had to admit it had been blissful lying in his arms again. They made their way to Tommy's car, Tommy not allowing Jude to carry anything, and began on their way home. Jude wasn't sure where that was. Was Tommy going to take her to her house or to his? She had agreed to live with him, but did that start tonight?

Tommy drove quickly, pulling into his driveway in twenty minutes. He hadn't given her a choice. He didn't intend to take her home and give her any excuse to stay there any longer than one night.

He got out of the car, Jude following suit and he grabbed her bags from the car. They approached his front door and paused as Tommy pulled out his keys. He unlocked and opened the door and turned towards Jude.

"Welcome home," he said, smiling. Jude couldn't help but smile back as she followed him in, thinking that there really was nowhere she'd rather be, regardless of how complicated their relationship was. _Friends,_ she told herself silently. _Just friends._ Why did she have the feeling she'd be telling herself that a lot?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Jude couldn't sleep. She and Tommy had arrived at his house two hours ago and had almost immediately both went to bed. Tommy had insisted that she take the master bedroom and no matter how much she protested that it was his house and she didn't want to take his bedroom, he wouldn't hear of it.

"You and our baby deserve the best," he'd said, "and I'm going to make sure you get it." And then he'd smiled at her, the way only Tommy could smile at her.

How could she possibly refuse after he said that, and smiled at her like that? But she knew taking Tommy's bedroom was not a good idea. She could smell him everywhere, including the bed where she was attempting to sleep. And that made her want him. And it made her envision Tommy sleeping in the bed, next to her.

She jumped out of bed. She had to stop herself from thinking like that.

She paced for a minute, wondering what she was going to do. It was 1:00 in the morning and she was wide awake. And she was hungry. Now that she was eating for two, she wanted food all the time. And whoever said that pregnant women craved weird combinations was absolutely right. Jude couldn't stop craving peanut butter and salt and vinegar chips. Normally she would have gagged at such a combination. But right now, that's all she wanted.

She would have made her way down to the kitchen, but she was at Tommy's house and she didn't feel comfortable yet just wandering around. Her stomach growled, reminding her of her hunger. She was SO hungry.

"Oh, what the hell?" she said, making her way to the bedroom door. She looked down quickly at her apparel to make sure she was decent enough to leave the room. Her t-shirt and shorts would have to do.

She opened the door slowly, looking out to make sure that the door to the bedroom Tommy said he was going to be using now was closed. It was.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She just wanted to go to the kitchen and get her food and come back. She didn't want any late night Tommy-time.

She tip-toed to the staircase and down the stairs as quietly as she could manage. A few stairs creaked, and she paused, listening to see if she heard Tommy rousing. She didn't hear anything so she continued her descent. She walked slowly to the kitchen, trying to find her way around in the dark. It would have been smarter to turn a light on, she knew, but that would likely draw Tommy's attention. Tommy had just bought this house before they went to Thailand and had not moved into it until he had returned, so Jude had never been there before. Tommy had given her a five minute tour of the place before they went to bed, so at least she had some general idea of where the kitchen was.

She placed her hands on the wall, and walked along, sure that she was going in the right direction. Finally, she arrived at the doorway and saw the fridge.

"Thank God," she whispered, walking towards the fridge and opening the door, still completely in the dark except for the small light coming from the fridge. She stared in it, noticing that Tommy had very little food in there. And there was nothing that she wanted. She REALLY wanted salt and vinegar chips and peanut butter. She was almost tempted to go out and get them, except that her car was at her house, after she had asked Sadie to drive it home from the airport, and she had no idea how to drive Tommy's. And she knew Tommy would have a heart attack if he woke up and she wasn't here. Not that he didn't deserve a bit of panic after all he'd put her through over the last three years. But still, she couldn't do that to him.

"Looking for something specific?" Jude jumped hearing Tommy's voice behind her. He flicked on the light as Jude turned around.

"Tommy! What the hell are you doing?" Jude yelled, putting her hand to her chest to calm her heartbeat.

Tommy stood in the doorway of the kitchen looked at her curiously, a small smirk forming at the corners of his mouth. "I should ask you the same thing. What were you doing creeping around in the dark?"

Jude knew he had a point. "I was hungry. And I didn't want to wake you."

He moved closer, standing only a foot away from her. "Jude, this is your home now, too. You should feel comfortable enough to do whatever you want. And please, don't go walking around in the dark. It's dangerous. What if you fell and I wasn't awake? That could be pretty serious for you and the baby."

Jude saw the genuine concern in his eyes. "You're right," she said, suddenly feeling the heat of his body which felt closer than it was. Besides, now that she was past the fright he had caused her and the embarrassment of being caught, she noticed that Tommy was wearing pyjama pants. And no shirt. She felt her cheeks flush at the sight. She stared at his bare chest for a minute before averting her eyes.

"Do you have peanut butter?" She asked suddenly, desperate to get her mind off of Tommy's half-naked body.

Tommy almost laughed, seeing Jude staring at the floor instead of looking at him. Nothing escaped his notice, not the way she blushed looking at his body or the way she stared for a few seconds longer than is appropriate. He thought her nervousness was amusing considering that when they were in Thailand she saw him naked and half-naked more than a few times.

He moved to one of the cupboards, grabbing a half-empty jar of peanut butter. He handed it to her, and then went to grab the bread, figuring she wanted toast or a sandwich.

"Nope, just get me a spoon, Quincy," Jude said, smirking as she carried the jar over to the kitchen table and sat down. "And you don't happen to have salt and vinegar chips too, do you?"

Tommy turned and looked at her curiously, then went to one of the other cupboards and pulled out a bag of unopened chips.

He saw Jude's eyes sparkle as he carried the bag and the spoon over to the table and sat across from her.

"Peanut butter and salt and vinegar chips?" Tommy asked, a mock disgusted look on his face.

Jude was already too engrossed in her food, smiling widely as she ingested the first spoonful of peanut butter.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat just peanut butter before," he commented, watching her, smiling at her happiness.

She dipped the spoon in the jar and held a full spoonful of peanut butter in front of Tommy. "Want to try?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then opened his mouth for Jude to put the spoon in.

"Mmmm…" he said and he swallowed the peanut butter, "not bad at all. It's not exactly red liquorice, but it's not bad." He laughed and Jude laughed too. Besides hearing their baby's heartbeat in the hospital, her laughter was the nicest sound he'd heard in a very long time.

He watched Jude gleefully eating her chips and peanut butter, just glad that she was here with him, that he knew about the baby and they were going to experience the pregnancy together.

She finished eating and they sat in comfortable silence.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked.

"Nope," she answered, not meeting his eyes. She couldn't tell him that the reason she couldn't sleep was that his room reminded her too much of him.

"Me neither. I guess we got enough rest on the plane," he said, thinking about their shared nap.

She blushed again. "I guess," she said quietly.

"Why don't we go in the living room, put on the television until we get tired?"

She smiled. "That would be good." They both stood up and he put a hand on the small of her back to lead her into the other room. She could feel the heat from his hand burning through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

She moved quickly away as soon as they were in the room and headed towards the plush couch opposite the television. She sat at one end and prayed that Tommy would take the other end.

Tommy grabbed the remote and made his way over the couch, sitting in the middle, only a few inches from Jude.

_He's not going to make this easy on me, is he?_ she thought to herself. They both leaned back, making themselves comfortable on the large couch as Tommy flipped through the channels. As it was 1:00 there was nothing on except old movies; Tommy stopped the channel when he hit a station that was playing "Gone With the Wind". Jude turned to look at him, smiling.

"Have you seen this?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"Harrison, this is one of the best movies ever made. Not that I won't kill you if you ever tell anyone I said that."

She laughed, amused, and turned back to the television. "Whatever you say, Quincy."

They were watching for half an hour when Jude could feel herself drifting off. She looked towards Tommy and could see his eyes getting heavy as well. But for some reason she didn't want to leave his company yet. She tried to open her eyes widely to keep herself awake, but it only made her more tired. She leaned her head back into the couch. She closed her eyes. _I'll close them for a few minutes and then I'll be more awake_, she thought to herself. That was the last thought she had before she drifted off to sleep.

Tommy was struggling with keeping himself awake when he felt Jude's body lean into his. He looked in her direction to see her sound asleep, her head leaning on his shoulder. He smiled, relishing the feel of her body against his. He flicked the television off, and leaned back into the couch, putting his arm around Jude to bring her closer against his side. And within minutes, Tommy was sound asleep too.

Jude jolted awake, disoriented. She looked around her, noticing first that she was leaning into someone's warm body. And by the way her own body was tingling with desire, she knew it must be Tommy.

Then she remembered. She was at Tommy's house because she was now living with him. And she remembered the late night peanut butter and chips craving and watching "Gone With the Wind" with him. They must have fallen asleep on the couch.

She felt Tommy's body moving, realizing he must be awake too. He looked down at her, their faces only a few inches apart. "Good morning," he said, his voice still laced with sleep. She saw desire and what looked like love shining from his eyes.

"Morning," she said shyly, suddenly aware of how close they were. And how inappropriate this was for friends. Which is all they were.

She lingered for a moment longer, staring up into Tommy's piercing blue eyes, and then she made herself pull away from him, out of his arms.

"So," she said, straightening, "I guess we should go get some of my stuff today. And my car."

"Sounds good," Tommy replied. "And I was thinking we might tell the news to ours friends who don't know and figure out what we're going to tell the press. I want the truth to be out."

"I agree," Jude said, standing up from the couch, "Just give me half an hour to get ready and we'll head over to Paegan and Jamie's studio. SME will probably be there so we can tell Paegan and SME and Kwest. I think that's everyone close to us who doesn't know."

Tommy looked up at her, a thought dawning on him, "You mean Jamie knew?"

Jude frowned, knowing Tommy wouldn't like it that Jamie knew before him. "He was the one who figured it out, actually. Forced me to take a test. Don't be mad, Tommy. He's been my friend forever, you know that." Tommy still looked unhappy and Jude continued, "Besides, not that it matters since we're not together anymore, but I didn't choose him. And it's not him that I'm having a baby with." She turned around, walked up the stairs and into her room, which still smelled of Tommy. Even just the scent of him made her knees weak.

As soon as she entered the room, she shut the door firmly and collapsed against it. This whole "friends" thing was going to be a lot harder than she had hoped.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Twenty minutes later she meandered down the stairs, having showered and changed into slim style black jeans and a white and black fitted blouse, one of the few professional looking outfits she had taken with her to Mason's. Seeing as they hadn't picked up her stuff from her house yet, she was living out of the suitcase she'd taken to Tennessee with her. She thought she looked pretty slim in the outfit and she was going to take advantage of every day where she could maintain her figure. She knew that soon enough she wouldn't fit into any of her clothes. The thought was actually not even depressing to her. It was just a part of pregnancy and she was looking forward to all of it.

As she walked down the stairs, she took a deep breath. She was a little calmer now and ready to face Tommy again. Sometimes she just found it so difficult being around him. They were getting along, but she could feel him working his way through the defences she was putting up, especially the longer amount of time they spent together.

There was one difference this time, however, than any other time she had wanted to be with Tommy. This time she knew what it was like to be happy with him for a while and have it all come crashing down on her. She had thought about it while she was getting ready to leave for the studio. She had a plan to fight off Tommy: any time she felt herself melting for Tommy again, she just had to remind herself of the pain she felt in Thailand. She prayed this would be enough to fortify herself against him.

She found him sitting at the kitchen table eating some cereal. He looked up and smiled at her as she entered. "Want some?" he asked, pointing to the cereal box to her.

Fruit Loops, her favourite. She simply couldn't refuse. She moved to the cupboard and grabbed a bowl, placing it on the table across from Tommy, pouring her cereal and milk into the bowl. "Want some peanut butter with it?" he asked, jokingly. She smiled, eating her cereal.

They ate in silence at first, before Tommy said, "Have you thought about what you want to say to the press yet?"

She looked up from her bowl. "Well," she started. "I was thinking as simple as possible. Just the bare minimum facts. I'm pregnant. You're the father. We're going to be co-parenting. Not that this information will stave off the questions, but I don't want to share any more information. I feel like it's already none of their business."

"Sounds good to me." Tommy said, a little smile curving his lips. He was happy and relieved that she wanted everyone to know it was his baby.

"I figured we'd write have a joint press conference and announce it."

Tommy looked up at her, surprised. "Are you sure you don't want to just send out a press release? Then you wouldn't have to face them head on?"

"Nope, I don't want it to look like I'm ashamed or something. Because I'm not," she said, rubbing her stomach. "This baby is a miracle, and I'm going to show the press that I'm proud to be pregnant, regardless of what they think."

Tommy saw her strength, her pride and her unconditional love for the baby shining from her eyes. And he added these things to the ever-growing list of reasons why he loved her. And we he had to get her back.

They both finished their breakfast in comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. "Ready to go?" Tommy asked, grabbing both of their bowls and putting them in the dishwasher.

Jude nodded, and they made their way outside to the Viper.

They were driving for a bit before Jude asked, "You going to give this up?"

Tommy, turned keeping one eye on the road and one on her, looking puzzled. "The car? Why would I do that?"

Jude laughed. "Well, Vipers aren't exactly equipped for car seats. Come to think of it, pretty much none of your vehicles are," Jude teased.

"What do you want me to get, a minivan?" Tommy asked, laughing. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jude's expression change to a more serious one.

"Well, since the baby will be with me most of the time, I guess it doesn't matter. I mean, the car seat will go fine in the Mustang," Jude said, really more thinking out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy asked, becoming more confused.

"Well, once the baby's born and I move into my own place, the baby will mostly be with me. So, I guess it really doesn't matter whether you have a proper car or not."

The colour drained out of Tommy's face. "What do you mean, move out?" Tommy asked angrily. "Why would you move out?"

"Tommy, I don't want to give the wrong impression to anyone, including our child or ourselves. Parents that aren't together don't live together. It's as simple as that."

"Simple? Jude, nothing about this situation is simple. Except for the fact that we SHOULD live together once the baby is born," he said, turning the Viper into the parking lot of Jamie and Paegan's studio. He parked the car and took the keys out of the ignition but did not move to get out of the car. He turned to look at her, and he could see her cheeks flushed and the anger rising in her eyes. He remembered what the doctor said about stress and decided this conversation could be saved until later. Actually, he hoped that later it wouldn't be necessary at all. "Jude," he said, taking her hand gently in his, "why don't we just take one day at a time and enjoy this? We'll figure out all the stuff later." His voice was like a soft caress and Jude couldn't fight with him now if she wanted to.

She looked into his eyes, her voice full of determination, "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not going to jump into your arms this time around. I want to be friends, that's it."

Tommy thought her stubbornness was admirable, but he'd already seen her walls slowly coming down. He knew it would only be a matter of time for them. He wondered silently why she couldn't see it as well.

Tommy smiled, squeezing. "Let's go do this. Then I'll take you to your place to get your stuff. Then we can have a relaxing night at home, okay? I think we could both do with that.'

Jude nodded, and opened her car door to get out. She started for the building before Tommy was even out of the car. He caught up with her quickly, placing a hand gently on the small of her back. She quickened her pace to evade his touch. Tommy smirked, dropping his hand. She was stubborn, but so was he. And he didn't think she knew how determined he could be.

Tommy opened the front door, holding it open for her. She smiled weakly at him and walked through. As soon as they walked in, they noticed Spiederman, Kyle and Wally lounging on the couches just off the lobby, Sadie and Kwest were talking at the reception desk and Jude could see both Paegan and Jamie in one of the upper offices.

Jude exhaled a deep breath. Tommy put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "Let's do this," he whispered, leaning close to her ear. "Wait here, I'll get everyone," he said.

"Spiederman! Wally! Kyle!" Tommy yelled, immediately getting their attention, "Can we talk to you for a minute?" He asked, pointing to where Jude stood. Sadie looked over at Jude with a questioning look, and Jude nodded in response. And as if in some foreign language, the sisters understood each other and Sadie knew what Jude was about to do. "Kwest, honey, I think Jude has an announcement to make," Sadie said, leading Kwest over to where Jude was standing.

Tommy popped his head in the office where Jamie and Paegan were and asked them to come down as well.

When everyone was gathered, and Tommy had rejoined Jude at the front of the group, Tommy started to talk, noticing Jude's sudden nervousness. "Jude and I have an important announcement," he paused for a moment, looking at her. She smiled in response and he continued. "We're going to be parents." Jude looked around to see everyone's shocked faces, well, everyone except for Jamie and Sadie who already knew.

Paegan approached her first. "A little one?" he asked, smiling. "A future little rock star. Congratulations," he said, hugging her. Then he shook Tommy's hand wordlessly.

Spiederman approached, gathering her in a warm hug. "I guess this ends my hopes that one day we would get back together, huh?" he asked, smiling. "What should the kid call me, "Uncle Spied? "Uncle Speedy?"

"Hmm… how about Uncle Vincent?" Tommy broke in.

Spiederman glared at him, then looked back at Jude. "Congratulations Mama. See, now the phrase Hot Mama really does apply."

Tommy just rolled his eyes at Spiederman's remarks. Spiederman turned to Tommy while Kyle and Wally began to speak to Jude.

"Congrats Daddy," he said, jokingly. Tommy couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Vincent." Spiederman cringed at this second use of his real name.

Kwest walked up to Tommy, while Jude was busy joking around with SME. "A dad, huh? Wow. Congrats Tom," Kwest said, extending his hand.

Tommy took his hand, "Thanks. It's kinda scary, the thought of me being responsible for another life. But with Jude, I know the kid will be fine," Tommy said, looking over at her.

"As long as he or she doesn't spend that much time with those uncles," Kwest said, laughing, watching SME bending and talking to Jude's stomach.

Jamie approached Tommy as Kwest and Sadie walked over to talk to Jude. "Congratulations," Jamie said, a twinge of sadness in his eyes.

"Thanks," Tommy said, reaching out his hand for Jamie to shake, which Jamie accepted. "Thanks for what you said to me when Jude ran away. And thanks for being Jude's friend."

Jamie smiled and nodded, and then moved on to give his congratulations to Jude.

Tommy saw Paegan walking back upstairs and caught him before he could. "I was wondering if you could do me and Jude a favour. We want to have a press conference to announce the news. Could we hold it here?"

"Sure, mate. I'll call the local news people for you. When do you want to have it."

"Would this afternoon be too quick?"

"I'll see what I can do." Paegan smiled.

"Thanks," Tommy replied, watching Paegan go to his office to make the call. Tommy turned back to join Jude. She had just finished talking to Jamie, who was also returning to his office. Jude was lost in her thoughts.

"Jude?" Tommy asked, "Are you okay?"

Jude smiled, turning to him. "I'm fine. Just glad that's done."

"I asked Paegan if he'd have the press conference here, this afternoon. He said he'd make the call."

"Good, the sooner that it's done the better." Jude said, looking a little pale and tired.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Tommy asked, concerned. He put his arm around her and led her to the nearest couch to sit down.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. That's normal, don't worry," Jude said, squeezing Tommy's hand reassuringly. He looked at her, smiling wistfully.

Paegan coughed, "Sorry to interrupt," he said, approaching them. "The press conference is set for 2:00."

"Thanks Paegan." Jude said. He walked away to leave them alone again, and Jude settled herself back into the couch. Tommy watched as her eyes fluttered close. He had heard something about pregnant women being exceptionally tired. He watched her fighting the tiredness, but within a minute, and without meaning to, Jude was sound asleep. After waiting for her to fall into a deep sleep, Tommy picked her up, one arm around her back, the other one underneath her knees, and carried her into one of the empty offices. He laid her on the couch, kissing her forehead softly before he sat himself down in a nearby chair.

As he watched her sleep, his thoughts went to the press conference they were going to have this afternoon. He knew Jude wanted to be brave by facing them, but he was afraid of the things the vulture reporters might have to say.

Three hours later, Jude was still sleeping and Tommy was writing furiously on a notepad he'd stolen from the empty office they were in. Sadie knocked quietly on the door, before entering.

"The press is here and ready when you are," she said, speaking to Tommy but glancing at her sleeping sister.

"Thanks, Sadie. We'll be out in a few minutes," Tommy said and Sadie left, closing the door behind her.

Tommy walked over and crouched down beside Jude's sleeping form. He reached forward and caressed her face lightly. "Jude," he whispered, and she began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered open.

"It's time for the press conference," Tommy said quietly, reaching forward to brush a lock of hair off of Jude's face.

She sat up, trying to wake herself up as quickly as possible. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and a minute later, she stood up.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, as she smoothed out her clothes and hair.

"Beautiful," he said simply. Their eyes locked, the desire in Tommy's making Jude blush.

"Let's go," she said, opening the door and walking towards the table they had set up for the press conference.

Jude and Tommy sat down beside each other, and Tommy began speaking, making the announcement. The reporters looked shocked and then began waving their hands furiously, wanting to ask further questions. Tommy pointed at one reporter's raised hand.

"So are the two of you involved in a sexual relationship?"

"No," Jude answered, before Tommy could say anything. "We were in a committed relationship for a short period of time but it didn't work. Now we are just happy to be friends and co-parents."

The questions they asked swirled in her mind, making Jude's head spin.

"What went wrong between the two of you?"

"Was there cheating involved?"

"Are you involved with other people now?"

"Are you going to file for joint custody?"

They wanted details about everything and as the questions continued, Jude began to realize that this press conference was a mistake. She was getting more and more emotional and upset with the things the reporters were asking and intimating. Tommy glanced over to see her face, white as a ghost's, and her eyes, full of unshed tears.

One reporter had already begun her question. "Jude is barely of legal age. How did this relationship develop so quickly?" The assumption was clear, that Jude and Tommy had been involved secretly before she was legal, and in which case, Tommy could be in a lot of trouble.

Jude's anger rose. "We were only involved very shortly, after I turned eighteen years old," she said furiously.

"Thank you for coming. That's the end of the press conference," Tommy said, as he stood and grabbed Jude's hand, pulling her into the unused office she had just napped in.

As soon as they were in and the door was closed behind them, Jude began pacing. "How could they ask those things? And I could I have been stupid enough to think that they wouldn't?" Jude said, more hypothetically than actually asking Tommy. Her eyes were full of tears that she was trying to hold back. "It was awful. They just kept prying and prying…"

"Jude," Tommy said softly, interrupting her rambling. Her head shot up and she looked at Tommy, who stood only a foot away with his arms open for her.

She walked into them, with no hesitation, and as she nestled her head into his shoulder, she released all the tears she'd been holding in.

"It's okay," he soothed as he rubbed her back gently, holding her in a tight embrace. "Don't worry about them. They don't matter. Only we matter, all three of us." He placed a kiss on the top of her head. Jude stood, enveloped in his arms, thinking that she'd never felt safer or more loved than she did at this moment. And that was both a comforting and a scary thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

She stood, enclosed in his arms, for a long time. Tommy heard her sobbing subside but still clung to her, hoping that she would give in to what he knew they both felt and admit that they belonged together.

But she pulled away slowly, flushed and embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I feel silly getting upset like that."

He lifted his hand to her face, caressing her cheek softly. "Girl, it's okay. Those reporters are like Satan incarnate. They could make anyone crack, even you."

She turned and grabbed her purse, walking away from his touch purposely. Every time he came close or touched her, she could feel her body almost humming with pleasure and desire.

She had to get out of there, out of the suffocating closeness of the room. It only reminded her how much she wanted him. "Are you ready to go pick up my stuff?" she asked, heading for the door without waiting for an answer.

He followed her out and they saw SME, Kwest, Sadie and Jamie waiting for her in the main area. Spiederman approached her first, enveloping her in a hug.

"Don't worry about them. They get paid to be mean," he whispered in her ear.

Everyone hugged her in turn and whispered a few encouraging words to her. A few more tears escaped her eyes, this time due to the kindness everyone was showing her.

"Thanks guys," she said to them all, "I don't know what I'd do without all of you." She glanced at them all, one by one, her last look landing on Tommy who was smiling sweetly. He approached her, putting his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk to the exit.

Before they could leave, Tommy noticed Spiederman giving him a restraining look, as if he wanted to say something to him. He stopped, reaching in his pocket and handing Jude the keys.

"I'll be there in a sec," he said, answering Jude's questioning look, "I have one quick thing I forgot to do." She looked at him curiously but took the keys and walked out the exit.

"What is it?" Tommy asked impatiently when Spiederman approached. "I just wanted to tell you to take care of her. We can all see where things are heading. Usually Jude falls for you, and you hurt her. We've seen the cycle about 4 times already. I want you to break the cycle this time, man. Don't hurt her."

Tommy was slightly annoyed by Speed's interference, but also glad that Jude had people who cared about her looking out for her. And unfortunately, he grudgingly admitted to himself, in the past looking out for her best interest usually meant keeping him as far away from her as possible.

"Look, not that this is any of your business, but I don't plan on hurting her. The last thing I've ever wanted to do is hurt her, okay?" With that, Tommy walked out the exit and joined Jude in the Viper.

"What was that about?" Jude asked, turning to look at him from the passenger seat.

"Oh, nothing. I was talking to Paegan about possibly getting a job at their new label. You know, maybe producing their biggest artist. Actually, I think she's pretty much their only artist right now," Tommy replied, smirking. This actually wasn't completely a lie. While Jude had been napping earlier, Tommy had spoken to Paegan about it and Paegan said he would mention it to Jamie.

Jude smiled widely, "Really? You'd be producing me again?" Her excitement was palpable.

"I guess that's a good thing?" He asked, laughing softly.

"Tommy, you know my music is never as good as when we work together on it," Jude said seriously, bowing her head to avoid Tommy's eyes.

Tommy was completely caught off guard. That was the best compliment she'd ever paid him. She looked up at him, her eyes full of vulnerability, her expression serious. Their eyes locked and he began leaning towards her, feeling an undeniable pull to kiss her.

He saw the panicked look flash across her face right before she turned her head. He pulled back, positioning himself properly behind the wheel. He drove away silently, feeling frustration spread through him. Why did she keep pulling away from him?

She sat beside him, staring out the window. She didn't actually notice anything that she was looking at because she was too busy thinking about what had almost happened. She had almost let him in, almost let him kiss her. She felt a nagging sense of disappointment that the kiss hadn't happened. The feel of his lips on hers was indescribably good, so sensual and passionate. It always filled her with a warm feeling, like she possessed all the happiness a person possibly could. Kissing him was something she would never forget no matter how long she lived whether she ever received another kiss from him. Making love to him was also something she'd never forget…. her thoughts trailed off, thinking of all the nights they spent together in Thailand before things fell apart. Her cheeks flushed just from the thought and she forced herself to think about something less sexy.

Tommy pulled the Viper into the driveway at her family home and she nearly jumped out of the car while it was still moving. She was desperate to get away from him, and the nearness that sitting together in a car presented.

She rushed ahead of Tommy into her house, before he had even gotten out of the car. Tommy sighed deeply, knowing that he'd scared her leaning in to kiss her like that. He just hoped he hadn't undone all the progress he had made in the last couple of days.

He walked into the house, noticing Jude already coming down the stairs with some of her stuff. She didn't say anything to him as she walked past him to load her belongings into her Mustang.

He couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she was frustrated and upset. And it made him smile, regardless of the drama surrounding them. His eyes followed her, imagining how she would look in a couple of months, her body ripe with child. The thought filled him with joy and hope, in spite of how Jude was acting towards him at the moment.

"Tommy."

Tommy turned to see Stuart glaring at him. He'd been so focused, watching Jude from the doorway, that he had not even noticed Stuart's approach. His look was murderous. It was clear to Tommy that Stuart had not gotten used to the idea that he had impregnated Jude, his eighteen year old daughter.

"Mr. Harrison," Tommy said, not really sure what else he could say without getting himself killed.

Jude walked back into the foyer and noticed the tension immediately. She looked at her dad and Tommy and then turned slightly in Tommy's direction. "Tommy, why don't I meet you back at your house? I can handle packing my stuff and I have to drive my car over anyway."

Tommy looked down to see the pleading look in her eye. Remembering the doctor's warning about relieving Jude's stress, Tommy knew the last thing Jude needed was to have him and her father bickering.

"Okay, I'll see you soon," he said, taking the liberty of kissing her forehead before he walked out the door.

Jude watched him leave, happy to diffuse such a tense confrontation. She looked at her father and saw the anger still lurking on his face.

"Dad, you're going to have to get used to him," she stated simply, walking up the stairs again to get more of her stuff. She could hear her father following her, and she silently prayed that he wouldn't start a fight. They still hadn't really discussed the pregnancy. He'd found out, like Tommy, from the doctor and he'd never really confronted her about it. And after the day she'd had with the reporters, she really wasn't up for that battle now.

"Jude, can I talk to you for a minute?" Stuart asked as soon as they walked into her room.

"Sure Dad," she answered, sitting on the bed nervously.

"Look Jude," he started, standing in front of her. "I'm not mad at you. I'm shocked, to say the least. I'm still recovering from finding out that my youngest daughter is pregnant with her producer's baby-"

"Tommy's never been just my producer, Dad. You know that." Jude cut in, finding herself needing to defend Tommy for some reason she couldn't explain.

"In any case," he continued, "You know I'll support you no matter what. That's why I want you to stay here, to continue living here while you're pregnant and after you have the baby."

"Dad, I agreed to live with Tommy. I'm not going to go back on it now. Besides, he is the baby's father and he wants a role in his or her life. I'm not going to deprive him of that."

Jude could see the frustration rise in her father's eyes, "But Jude, he's going to hurt you. He always does. And this time it's not just about you. He's not a stable influence for a child. How many times has he just hurt you or left you hanging?"

The pain flashed in Jude's eyes as she remembered all of these horrible times. She knew all too well all the ways Tommy had hurt her. No one had to remind her because she would never forget. "Dad, believe me I know Tommy can hurt me. He's one of the few people who can really deeply damage me. I've felt it already start to happen every time he hurts me or he leaves. That's why this time is different. This time we're friends. End of story."

Stuart looked at her cynically. "You think you can stay just friends with him, honestly?"

Uncertainly filled her eyes as she thought about this. "I didn't profess that it was going to be easy. Necessary but not simple." She paused briefly, trying to think of a way to explain herself to her father. "Look dad, Tommy's the only person, besides you, who has ever really gotten me and accepted me. We have a bond that I don't share with anyone else and I can't throw that away. When I got back from Thailand I deluded myself into hope that I could toss him out of my life and never look back. But I can't and I know that now. And especially not when he's going to be in my baby's life. I have to give this "friends" thing a try."

Her father still looked sceptical. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You or my grandchild," Stuart said.

Jude stood up, hugging her father tightly. "I know Dad. And I love you for that." Her father's acceptance of her, and now her baby, meant more than she could ever express.

"Just remember," Stuart said, pulling out of the hug, "You and my grandchild will always have a home here."

"Thanks, Dad," Jude said, kissing his cheek lightly.

Tommy was pacing his living room, looking at his watch. It was 7:00 pm, over four hours since he'd left Jude at her family home. She'd sent him a text message earlier stating that she was staying to have dinner with her dad. He could almost hear Stuart trying to talk Jude out of letting him anywhere near her.

He heard the front door open and he rushed to the foyer. He saw Jude walking in, struggling with the front door as she carried in a small box. She looked up and saw him staring at her. "Do you mind helping me bring in some of the boxes?" She took in his shocked and relieved expression. "Are you okay?" she asked, puzzled.

"I'm better now," he said quietly. Jude still looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I'll go grab some more boxes." He commented and walked out the door towards Jude's car, breathing a huge sigh of relief. She was back. She was still here. He grabbed a couple of boxes and walked back to the house, happier than he'd been in a long while.

An hour later they had unpacked some of Jude's belongings but decided to take a break in order to satisfy both of their ravenous appetites. Tommy phoned for a pizza, admittedly not the healthiest choice, but he was too tired and drained from the day he'd had to even worry about cooking. He couldn't believe the emotional upheaval one day could bring.

He walked back into the living room to see Jude sitting on the couch, lost in her thoughts. "How much for your thoughts?"

"Even you couldn't afford them," she joked, pulling herself out her contemplation.

He sat down next to her, closer than he knew he should. She shifted away slightly. "I would pay any amount you asked to know what's going on in there," he said, his hand brushing her temple lightly. Their eyes locked for a moment, the desire pulsing between them. Then, suddenly, she looked away and stood up and moved away.

"Do you love me?" he blurted out. Her head shot up and she turned towards him, noticing that he looked shocked, almost as though he hadn't meant to say the words.

"What?" she asked, almost inaudibly. She felt paralyzed, unable to move from the spot where she was standing.

He stood and walked over, positioning himself directly in front of her. "You heard me. Do you love me? Because if you don't, I need to know. If you don't, I'll understand why you keep pushing me away."

"Tommy, I don't want to talk about this," she said, beginning to walk away from him in the direction of the stairs.

He grabbed her arm lightly and he looked at her desperately, a touch of anger tinting his voice. "I **need** to know, Jude. I need you to tell me you don't love me."

He retained his grip on her arm, his pleading look penetrating her eyes. She looked away, staring at the ground below her. She felt herself filled with fire at his request. How dare he demand this of her? He was the one who had stomped on her heart repeatedly. She looked up, glaring at him intensely. "I can't okay!!" she yelled, a tear streaming down her cheek, revealing the sadness that lay beneath the anger. "Is that what you wanted to hear!!?" she asked quietly, trying to pull her arm from his grasp.

"Then why won't you let me in again? Why won't you give us another chance when you can see that's all I want?" Tommy asked sincerely, desperately, emotion cracking his voice.

Her anger returned, along with frustration at their situation. "Don't you think that's exactly what I want? Can't you see that this is killing me, being this close to you and not being able to give in to what I want? All I ever wanted is you, Tommy. But it wasn't enough for you in Thailand and I'm not ever going to put myself through that pain again."

Tommy looked up at her confused, forgetting his grip on her arm. Jude took the chance to release her arm. "What are you talking about? When have you ever not been enough for me?"

She walked over to the couch, sitting down and pulling her knees up protectively. "Look, I didn't plan on telling you but I saw you the night that I left Thailand. I saw you--," her voice broke with the tears she was crying, "I saw you talking and laughing with that other girl. You had barely looked at me or touched me for over a week and I find you having a good time with someone else? What do you think that felt like, Tommy?" she asked, seething through her tears. "That was the moment I decided that you and I could never work. See, you want me again now that you can't have me. But once you have me, once the chase is done, you become disinterested. And I can't take it again, Tommy. I just can't."

"Jude, it's not like that –" Tommy started, trying to find some way to explain his actions. "I got scared. But don't ever think that you aren't enough. EVER. I don't know how I'll ever make up for what I did. But I'll try. I'll do whatever you want."

"Tommy, I don't want you to feel bad or apologize. I just want you to understand why I can't let myself be with you again," Jude said, wiping her remaining tears away. "Look, I'm really tired; I think I'm just going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and without another word she got off the couch, rushing by him to hurry up the stairs.

Tommy watched her leave, letting the revelations of their conversation wash over him. She loved him; she had admitted it without actually saying the words. But she was hurt. He'd crushed her by his careless behaviour in Thailand. He couldn't believe that she thought she was not enough for him. Knowing that he had made her feel so insecure and broken made him sick to his stomach. That was the farthest thing from the truth. She was the only thing that mattered, the only one for him. He knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He knew that beyond the hurt she knew it too. But he also realized that pressuring her to admit the truth was not going to work. He was going to have to give her space and allow her to figure it out for herself. It didn't matter how long it took. This time he wasn't going anywhere. He'd be there waiting when she realized that their family, he and Jude and the baby, were worth fighting for.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The next two months passed smoothly. Tommy sat in his office at "Eagle Eye Records" waiting for a band that he was working with to arrive. He still couldn't help but laugh at the name Paegan had chosen for the label, Paegan attributing the name to Jamie's natural intuitive sense regarding artists. Tommy thought it was a silly name, but now that he worked there and now that he was getting along with both men, specifically Jamie, he kept his mouth shut. Sitting lazily in his comfortable office chair, he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift over the last two months, specifically how well things had been progressing between him and Jude. Since Tommy had decided to back off and let Jude come around on her own schedule, things had been decidedly less strained. In fact, he felt that he and Jude were becoming closer and closer without having yet crossed any line beyond friendship.

He glanced at the two framed pictures that sat on his desk, the first one being the framed ultrasound picture he'd placed there to remind himself of the tiny miracle that was growing inside of Jude, a life made of both him and Jude. The thought made him deliriously happy. He remembered vividly the day he and Jude went for the doctor's appointment and they received the ultrasound picture. Witnessing the ultrasound itself was awe-inspiring enough. Seeing how the baby was forming was fascinating and hearing the strong heartbeat was extremely comforting. As they were leaving the doctor's office that day, Jude, smiling proudly, had handed him the ultrasound picture and said, "You keep it." He had been dumbfounded and so moved at the gesture that all he had been able to muster was a quiet, "Thank you," as he took the picture and stared at it. That small form was their child. And he already loved it.

A part of him still couldn't believe all this was actually happening. He and Jude had been reading a baby book and sharing little interesting facts with each other. He had to say, the whole process was even more enjoyable than he'd thought it would be. He smirked to himself as he thought of the day he'd looked up the chapter on sex during pregnancy. There was no need for it yet, but he hoped it wouldn't be too long.

His eyes moved to the other picture on his desk, one of him and Jude that Kwest had taken only two weeks ago at Sadie's birthday party. He had his arm wrapped around Jude's shoulders and they were both smiling widely. He'd clung to Jude's side that day, like he did most days, and she hadn't minded. In fact, throughout the day, she'd whispered things to him or pointed various things out. She seemed to be enjoying his presence as much as he was enjoying hers. He felt like slowly, and without even realizing it, Jude was letting him back in. He just had to make sure he didn't blow it this time.

He tried to blink the sleepiness out of his eyes. He was exhausted; Jude was still having strange cravings and last night he'd caught her in the kitchen looking for pickles, something she wouldn't even go near normally. He had made a 2:00 am trip to a 24-hour grocery store to get some just to appease her, and then he'd stayed up talking with her until 4:00. And now, here he was at 9:00 in his office, trying to keep his eyes open in order to deal with another artist. He smiled, however, knowing that he was never happier than when he was with Jude or doing something for Jude, even a crazy early morning errand.

He heard a knock on the door and opened his eyes widely, trying to prepare for the work day ahead of him. Jude would be coming in this afternoon to continue work on her album, so he only had 4 hours until he saw her again. He was counting the minutes.

"Come in," he called, and the rock band he was waiting for hustled in the door. And he, rather unsuccessfully, tried to focus on something other than Jude.

Jude woke up slowly, lazily, glancing at the clock to see that it was 11:00. She lay on the bed in Tommy's bedroom, a room that, even though he hadn't occupied it in two months, still smelled of him, and she rubbed her growing belly. She felt like she got bigger everyday. She knew she wasn't huge yet but when she looked at herself in the mirror, she could see that her visibly extended stomach made it clear that she was pregnant. She still couldn't believe she was four months pregnant. Time seemed to pass really quickly these days.

"Good morning, baby," she whispered, keeping a hand on the top of her stomach. She felt suddenly hungry and figured she had to get out of the comfortable bed to feed hers and the baby's hunger. She padded downstairs, expecting Tommy to be around, and then remembered that he would be at work. Now that he had other clients besides herself, he wasn't at her beck and call 24/7 anymore. And she had to admit she missed him when he wasn't around.

She was so grateful for the way things were turning out between her and Tommy. After her teary confession that night two months ago, Tommy had backed off and seemed to have accepted them as friends. And Jude felt like she could relax knowing that he didn't expect anything more. Unfortunately her feelings for him didn't disappear; in fact, they had grown with every act of kindness he performed or every supporting thing he said. He'd taken to the fatherhood idea so well she wondered how she could have ever thought he wouldn't want the baby. He seemed so happy about it, just like she was.

She could feel Tommy winning his way back into her heart slowly. She knew the truth was that he'd never left her heart. He'd always been there, even when he'd hurt her, she couldn't seem to push him out. But now he was fighting his way back in. And even unconsciously she began to think about the possibility of someday becoming more than friends with Tommy. She tried to push the thought away, but she'd even begun to dream about him, about them. Maybe someday, she thought to herself.

She ate her breakfast quickly, not needing to linger since Tommy wasn't there to talk to, and decided to go for a relaxing walk before she went to the studio. She felt the need for fresh air and a bit of exercise before locking herself in a recording booth for the rest of the day. She went upstairs and changed, and then sailed out the front door, locking it behind her.

She took a nice leisurely walk around Tommy's neighbourhood, seeing a few nice parks that she thought it would be nice to take the baby once he or she got a bit older. She was taking in the sights, and wasn't paying attention as she rounded the corner on the way back to Tommy's house. All of a sudden, she felt someone grab her from behind and put a firm hand over her mouth. Fear flashed through her as she felt herself being dragged towards the curb, where she saw a black van waiting. She flailed and tried to scream, but her efforts were fruitless. Her attacker was much stronger and simply lifted her off the ground as he walked to the van.

She looked around, hoping to see someone, but she couldn't see anyone. Just before being shoved into the back of the van, she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear. "This time, revenge is mine." She shivered as he pushed her into the back, realizing she knew exactly where she'd heard that voice before. A silent tear slid down her cheek as the horror of her situation dawned on her.

It was Hunter.

Jude was late. _Where is she?_ he thought as he paced the lobby. Jamie came out of his office to see Tommy pacing furious.

"What's wrong?" he asked, curious.

"It's Jude," Tommy said, looking up from the floor. He saw Jamie's face take on a ghostly tone instantly.

"What happened?"

"She was supposed to be here an hour ago. I've called her cell and my home phone number and she hasn't been answering. I figured she was just running late as normal, but this is excessively late, even for Jude."

Spied came rushing out of one of the studios and almost bumped into the two men in the lobby. He stopped in his tracks when he saw their serious faces. "What's goin' on?"

"Jude's late," Jamie replied. "An hour late," he clarified when Speed looked sceptical.

"I'm going to go home and check it out," Tommy said and began to walk towards the exit.

"I'm coming too," Jamie and Speed said simultaneously.

Tommy turned around, looking annoyed. "Guys, I appreciate your concern but someone has to stay here in case she does turn up."

Sadie returned from her lunch break at that moment, and made her way back to the reception desk.

"Sadie, can you watch for Jude? Call one of us if she shows up? It's really important." Jamie asked. "Ok," Sadie replied, looking at them with a perplexed expression.

Jamie turned back towards Tommy.

"Alright, let's get going," Tommy said, resigned to having both Jamie and Speed tag along. "You guys follow me in Jamie's car, okay?" he said, not waiting for an answer as he rushed to the Viper and took off.

They arrived at Tommy's house twenty minutes later. Tommy got out of his car and was followed towards the house by Speed and Jamie. A thought dawned on him and he turned around quickly.

"You guys check the neighbourhood; ask anyone if they've seen her. I'll check the inside and I'll call you if I find her."

They went their separate ways, Tommy hurrying into the house. "Jude?!" He walked the entire downstairs before heading up. "Jude?!" he called again. There was no sign of her in the house. His hands were shaking, and he could feel the sweat starting to form on his brow, the panic setting in. _Where is she?_

He heard the door open and began to run down the stairs, stopping when he only saw Speed standing there, looking at an object in his hands.

"I found something," Speed said, holding his hand out to Tommy, who continued his approach.

Tommy looked and immediately recognized Jude's cell phone. The screen was broken.

"Where'd you find this?" Tommy asked.

"Just a block away on the ground. I asked around there but no one knows anything or remembers seeing her. There were not a lot of people around though, so it's not surprising."

"Can you go back out and look in that area, see if you find anything else?"

Speed could see the panic and fear in Tommy's eyes and agreed immediately, running back out the front door.

Tommy held the cell phone in his shaking hand, staring at it, wondering what this meant.

Suddenly he heard a cell phone ring and for a moment he thought it was Jude's broken one. Then he realized it was his phone.

He grabbed it out of his pocket, putting it to his ear. "Hello?" he said, a touch of desperation in his voice.

"Missing something yet, Tommy?"

Tommy felt his knees grow weak instantly. He would know that voice anywhere.

"Hunter, where is she? What have you done?"

"This time, Tommy, there is no escape. This time you really are going to lose everything. And now the revenge will be double because you'll be losing two important people not just one. You're going to lose them, just like I lost Angie." Hunter's voice was cold and unforgiving. And he sounded even more twisted and determined than he had the last time, when he held Jude at knifepoint. He heard Jude screaming for him in the background and felt the warm tears flooding his eyes and escaping down his cheeks. Then he heard the click as Hunter hung up.

He felt all strength leave his body as he fell helplessly to his knees. He still held both cell phones, his and hers, limply in his hands, but felt them both drop to the ground as he didn't have the strength to grip them any longer. He felt powerless as sobs wracked his body, and his whole body shook with terror. He tried to be strong, he knew if there was any chance for him to find her that he had to pull it together, but he couldn't help the emotions and tears that were finding their release.

And down on his knees a few minutes later, as the sobs began to subside, he did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He prayed. For the first time in a long time he had something in his life worth praying for, something worth saving.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

He heard Jamie and Spied talking just outside the door, about to enter, and he found the strength somewhere inside to get up off of his knees. He still felt weak as he reached down to pick up the two cell phones and he fought off the waves of nausea that had begun to hit him. He needed to pull it together and find Jude. That was all that mattered.

Jamie and Spied both burst through the door and saw the tears on Tommy's face.

"What's going on?" Jamie asked immediately, knowing Tommy Quincy did not cry for no reason.

Tommy wiped the tears with the back side of his hand and spoke as loudly as he could manage. "It's Hunter. He called. He's got Jude." His voice broke as he said this last statement, as though the truth was too devastating for him to even verbalize. The thought of Jude alone with Hunter and fearing for her life and the life of their baby dragged Tommy out of his haziness into a state of determination. He spun around, facing a shocked Jamie and Spied.

"Jamie, can you call the police and let them know what's happened? Then call Paegan and tell him to gather the press and announce her disappearance and that she's feared to be with Hunter. Ask people to come forward to the police if they know anything at all that could help us find her."

Without waiting for an answer he turned to Spied, "Can you call everyone and let them know what's going on? We'll gather here and we'll go out and look for here."

Both men nodded wordlessly and pulled out their phones. Tommy inhaled a deep breath as he walked into the living room to sit on the couch. He needed to think. He knew that if anyone had the answer regarding where Hunter would have taken Jude, it was him. He buried his head in his hands and tried to focus on Hunter's words but they were all jumbled in his brain.

Within forty-five minutes, everyone important to Jude had congregated at Tommy's house. Even Mason was there. He had returned to Toronto that night and had just stopped by Eagle Eye Records to look for Jude when Sadie received the news and began to have a panic attack at the reception desk. He had arrived at the house with Sadie and Kwest, who was still comforting a distraught Sadie.

Another surprise guest was Darius Mills. He explained to Tommy that he'd seen the breaking news report on the television and came to offer his support and help.

Darius, Mason, SME, Stuart, Sadie, Kwest and Paegan all took turns on the phone and driving around looking for her. Seven hours later they still couldn't find a trace of her.

It was getting late and the people who could sleep began taking turns napping for an hour or so. Kwest tried to convince Tommy to take a nap and recharge his body but he refused. He knew there was no way he could sleep. Not when he could almost feel the fear and terror Jude must be experiencing at that moment. He had to find her. He just couldn't figure out how he was going to do that. He paced the hallway outside his bedroom, which had become Jude's bedroom, pausing slightly every time he walked in front of the door. He could smell her unique, soft, vanilla fragrance wafting into the hall and it was slightly comforting. He breathed in as much as he could, trying to inhale as much of her as he could.

He paused in front of the door and looked in. It was dark and empty without her presence. He walked in slowly, making his way towards the bed. He laid down on it, realizing he could smell her strawberry shampoo on the pillow. He pressed one of the pillows into his face. The smell was soothing but it also reminded him of everything he might lose.

He wouldn't survive it. Losing her would kill his soul, it would pierce his heart. He knew, very honestly, that if Jude's and the baby's lives ended tonight, so would his. Even if he had to do it himself.

As he closed his eyes he could picture her lying in the very spot where he was lying. He drifted off to sleep slowly, helplessly, his eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open. And he dreamed of Jude, dreamed that she was lying right next to him, not trapped somewhere by Hunter.

Jude looked around the dirty hotel room searching for anything she could use to help her escape. Not that it would really matter since her hands and feet were bound and she was tied to the hotel bed. But still, she couldn't just sit and do nothing. Hunter had disappeared again and she used his absence to see if she could try and get out of her bindings. She pulled on them, only succeeding in making them tighter. She grunted quietly in pain.

Jude thought back to the last time, when Hunter had held her at knifepoint. This time was much different, she could feel it. The last time, even though she was afraid she could sense that Hunter didn't really want to hurt her. He wanted some revenge against Tommy but he wasn't twisted enough to really take it by hurting Jude. This time, however, she knew Hunter would follow through on his threats. He'd been very rough with her as he dragged her into the hotel room; she could see a bruise forming on her wrist from where he'd grabbed her. The scariest part was the way he eyed her stomach, an evil glint shining in his eyes. He knew the advantage Jude's pregnancy gave him and he intended to use it. There was no mercy in his eyes. In fact, when he said anything to her about the baby, he seemed to only get angrier.

Suddenly Jude heard the door opening and she settled back against the headboard, stopping her fruitless struggle against the bindings. He glared at her as he entered, slamming the door behind him and moving to sit on the end of the bed.

"Only a few more hours, Jude. I've acquired what I need to end this for good," he said creepily, pulling a gun out of the inside of his jacket.

Jude stared at the gun, understanding the clear insinuation that the gun would end things for her and her baby. "Hunter, please, let me go," Jude couldn't help pleading, tears rolling down her face. "My baby needs a chance to live," she whispered.

Hunter stood and began pacing furiously. "WHY?!!" He yelled, "My sister didn't have a chance to live!!! Didn't have a chance to have children!!!!!! Why should you and Tommy have that same chance??!!!"

"I'm sorry about your sister and so is Tommy. Don't you understand it wasn't Tommy's fault? Someone had tampered with the brakes on his car!!" Jude yelled back, trying to explain.

"This is ALL Tommy's fault!!! He got involved with her while he was MARRIED!!!! And then, he ripped her heart out, which is the reason she took his car!!! If she hadn't gotten involved with him in the first place, Angie would STILL BE ALIVE!!" Hunter roared at Jude, and Jude could see the mourning and anger in Hunter's eyes. "Look, I'm not talking about this anymore. We leave in an hour—"

Jude could see she was getting nowhere. And she didn't want to die without talking to him once more. "Can I call Tommy? I need to say goodbye," Jude said quietly, her words trailing off.

Surprisingly, Hunter took out his cell phone and dialled. Then he approached Jude and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" Tommy's desperate voice said at the other end of the line. She could sense the fear in it.

"Tommy, it's Jude," she said simply.

"Jude, are you and the baby okay? Where are you?"

She looked up and saw Hunter's warning look. "Look Tommy I just phoned to talk to you before—well… I just called to say Goodbye." Her voice cracked and the tears flooded her eyes now, blurring her vision. She took a deep breath in order to keep talking. Her throat tightened with emotion and her speech came out more like a whisper. "I love you. Please don't ever forget me or what we shared…" She could hear Tommy sobbing and breathing deeply, as though he was hyperventilating.

Hunter grabbed the phone back from Jude's ear and put it to her own. "Tommy, just remember this is all your fault. You're about to experience the worse kind of deja-vu and it's all because of you and your heartless actions. Goodbye." And Hunter turned the phone off.

As Hunter clicked off, Tommy dropped the phone, standing in the middle of the room surrounded by questioning faces. He didn't even bother to wipe the falling tears away. He dropped himself to one of the couches as he could feel his breathing quicken and the nausea rise suddenly. He ran to the main floor washroom, vomiting into the toilet. "No... no..." he whispered as he sat on the bathroom floor. When he felt strong enough to stand, he got up and re-entered the living room.

"Jude said she was phoning to say Goodbye."

Sadie started yelling, "NO!" and Kwest led her to a couch to try and soothe her. Stuart sat next to her on her other side, rubbing her back and taking one of her hands in his own.

Tommy replayed Hunter's words in his mind, knowing there must be meaning in them. He leaned against a wall, shutting his eyes to concentrate. Hunter had said something about deja-vu this time. And last time he'd said something about losing Jude _just like_ he lost Angie.

He opened his eyes suddenly, a light bulb going off in his brain. Could it be possible?

He made his way towards the door, yelling over his shoulder that he was going out again to look. He felt someone following him and he turned. It was Darius.

"Darius, I appreciate your help but—"

"Look, something about your look tells me you think you're really onto something this time. And if that's true, I think you'll need me," he said, pulling out a gun from where it was nestled in the back of his pants.

"Alright, let's go." Tommy said, glad someone had thought of bringing a weapon.

Tommy drove for almost an hour, his memory leading the way to the place where he thought Hunter had brought Jude. The same place where Angie had died just over five years ago.

He parked the car a little bit before the spot and he and Darius got out of the car to investigate. It was an empty stretch of road and as they got closer to the spot, to the tree that Angie had wrapped his car around, chills invaded his body. This would always be an awful spot for him.

As they approached, they didn't see anyone. Tommy was beginning to think he'd been wrong when he saw a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, grabbing Darius and rushing to hide behind a tree. He peered out behind the tree and confirmed that it was indeed Hunter. He was dragging Jude ruthlessly towards the tree where Angie died.

"You worry about Jude," Darius whispered, pulling out his gun. "I'll take care of Hunter." Tommy looked at him, seeing the determination in his eyes. He nodded.

They began to walk again as slowly and quietly as possible. Hunter's back was turned to them and Tommy figured they could sneak up on him and he would grab Jude and carry her to the safety of his car while Darius "took care" of Hunter.

But then, suddenly, Hunter turned and looked directly at them. Tommy gasped as Hunter pulled Jude in front of him, pressing the gun to her head. Jude looked at Tommy, not breaking contact with his eyes.

"Well, well. This is better than I even imagined. Now you get to watch Jude die in person. This is for everything you've done, Tommy!! Revenge is finally mine tonight!"

Then there was gunfire. And Jude screaming.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut as soon as he heard gunfire. He didn't want to open them. He hadn't seen who had fired or what had happened. He didn't want to open his eyes and see Jude lying lifelessly on the ground. But he knew he had to know the truth.

He took a deep breath and allowed his eyelids to open slowly.


	14. Chapter 14

[A/N: Okay, so I realize it was really cruel to leave you with such a brutal cliffhanger. So, I wrote another chapter tonight so you wouldn't have to wait very long to find out what happens... Enjoy and let me know what you think...

Chapter 14:

Tommy took in the scene in front of him. Jude was lying on the ground. So was Hunter. He ran to Jude's side, kneeling by her head. Her eyes were open and she was definitely breathing but she was wincing in pain, and Tommy stared for a minute at the blood splattered on her shirt.

"Jude, girl, stay with me," he whispered, brushing a lock of hair off her face. He looked up to see Darius already on the phone, calling the police. As his eyes shifted back to Jude, they stopped briefly to take in Hunter's clearly dead form. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly turned his eyes back to Jude.

"Tommy, I'm okay," she said, her voice weak. She looked and saw the blood that Tommy had been eyeing on her shirt. She adjusted herself to a sitting position. "It's not mine. The only pain I feel is in my back from falling on the ground so hard. The blood's his." She motioned towards Hunter's lifeless body. Tommy glanced at him again to see that he'd been shot in the head. It was not a pleasant picture.

"Don't look at him." Tommy said simply. He leaned down and kissed her forehead lightly, whispering, "I'm so glad you're alright. I was going out of my mind." Their faces were less than an inch apart.

"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay," she said and pressed her lips to his, softly, tenderly, cradling his face in her hands. When they broke from the kiss a moment later, Tommy looked at her with surprise. Then the memory of her earlier declaration of love on the phone wafted over him. He'd been too preoccupied at that moment to focus, but now the thought of it flooded him with joy. The declaration of love and now the kiss that she initiated – he figured they were both signs in his favour. Focusing his eyes on her face he noticed her paleness and knew he'd have to leave all discussion of their romantic situation until later, when she was feeling up to it. Right now, he needed to focus on hers and the baby's health.

"How's our little rock star?"

Jude smiled, rubbing her tummy. "Good, I think."

"Well, as soon as the police let us I'm going to take you to the hospital and we'll get things checked out, just to make sure." Tommy sat down beside her on the concrete road and Jude leaned into him as he put his arms around her.

Within a minute, the police arrived and discussed what had happened with Jude, Tommy and Darius. They said they needed to talk further but would give Tommy a call later.

Tommy helped Jude into the Viper but before getting in himself he ran over to Darius, who had just finished speaking to the police officer and was about to get in the back of the cop car so they could give him a ride home.

"Darius, I don't think I can ever repay you for what you did tonight. You saved Jude's life, my baby's life. And mine too," he said gratefully. "I owe you, man."

Darius waved it off. "Jude's like family and so are you, T. I'd do it again in a second." Before Tommy walked back to the Viper, the two men shared an earnest handshake.

Tommy climbed in the driver's side, looking towards Jude with a smile. He was so grateful to even be looking at her again. He couldn't stop smiling. "Ready to go?" he asked, reaching his hand over and squeezing one of hers.

She squeezed back and smiled. She felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion move through her. She thought it odd, since she hadn't felt tired at all while with Hunter. She realized, as she laid her head back and closed her eyes, that her body was finally relaxing because now, with Tommy, she knew she was finally safe.

Tommy glanced over at her a couple of times on the ride to the hospital, needing to prove to himself that Jude was really there. He was relieved every time he looked ever and saw that she was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat. When they arrived at the hospital he hated the thought of waking her up so he walked around to and lifted her carefully out of her seat. He shut the door with his foot and made his way towards the emergency room entrance.

Jude roused a bit as Tommy walked with her nestled in his arms, but she remained asleep. As he entered the emergency room, he walked towards the admittance desk and told them the situation. The police had phoned ahead to make sure that the ER was briefed on what Jude had been through. In order to avoid chaos in the ER, with a known celebrity sitting in the waiting room, they had arranged for her to be admitted directly to another floor where her doctor would come and check on her when he had a moment.

Tommy insisted on carrying her to the room and once he arrived he laid her on the bed. He sat down on the chair by the bed, pulling the chair as close to the bed as he possibly could. He watched her sleep for the longest time, relishing the sight of breathing, realizing how close he came to never seeing that again.

She woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering open as her gaze fell upon him.

"Hey," she said sleepily. She looked around her. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, taking her hand in his, "a couple of hours, I think. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay now," she said, squeezing his hand. "But I was so scared." Her eyes mirrored the fear, as if she was reliving what had happened. "Hunter was so angry, so focused on killing me. I really thought—" she broke off, her voice shaking.

"Shh..Shh…" Tommy murmured, bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing the top and then the palm softly. "You're okay. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again," he whispered. When she looked into his eyes, she saw that he meant it with every ounce of his being.

"There's something important I need to tell you," she said, bolstering herself with the courage to tell him everything. "When Hunter was holding me hostage, the only thing I could think about was you and the baby. And I realized how stupid and petty I've been. I let my hurt and fear get in the way of what I wanted. And then when I was with Hunter I was so afraid I was going to die and never see your face again, never touch you again." She emphasized her words by reaching forward and caressing his cheek. "Mostly I was afraid that I was never going to look into your eyes again when I told you that I love you and see that love reflected back. And I do, Tommy. I love you. The truth is, no matter what I tried to do, I've never stopped loving you."

He couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled her close to him, kissing her forcefully, passionately, a kiss filled with all the love and desire he wanted her to feel. He pulled away slightly, touching his forehead to hers as he gazed into her eyes. "I love you too, Jude," he whispered, pulling her into his arms again.

He heard Jude gasp and he pulled back suddenly. "What's wrong?" he asked, panicked.

She looked shocked, but not in a bad way. She wordlessly took his hand and put it on her stomach. "The baby just kicked," she said softly, her eyes shining with tears of happiness.

Tommy felt the small vibrations through her stomach and grinned widely. "I think he or she approves of our reunion," he joked.

Jude laughed at the sensation in her belly. "I think you're right," she said smiling brightly at Tommy.

An hour later the doctor came to examine Jude and the baby. "You're both doing very well," he concluded. "No damage was caused tonight that I can see. Just take it easy, but you're free to go."

"Thanks, Doctor," Jude said and she watched him leave and Sadie and Stuart burst into the room.

"Jude, I'm so glad you're okay!" Sadie said, reaching down to embrace her sister tightly.

Tommy's phone began to ring and he excused himself to take the call, squeezing Jude's hand before he left.

"We were so scared, honey," Stuart said, also giving Jude a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm good, the baby's good," she said, smiling. She felt so relieved that she and the baby were alive and now she was getting back together with Tommy. As scary as Hunter's kidnapping was it truly did make her see how important Tommy was to her. The thought of being separated from him was too much to accept. And even though being with him was a risk, it was one she couldn't live without.

Tommy came back in the room frowning.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"I have to go to the police station. They have some more questions for me about Hunter."

"I'll go with you. They said I was okay to leave the hospital," she said, not wanting to be separated from him for any reason.

He approached the bed, sitting on the edge beside her. "You need to rest." He reached forward and brushed her hair gently off her face. "They said you can call or come down tomorrow. But they want to talk to me now. Why don't you stay with your dad and Sadie tonight and I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"Alright," she conceded unwillingly. There really was no other choice. She certainly didn't want to stay at Tommy's alone.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early, right Quincy?" she replied, leaning forward and kissing him softly, not caring who saw.

"Right," he said, kissing her on the cheek before sailing out of the room.

Tommy left and Jude got out of the bed, ignoring the shocked looks from Sadie and her dad. "We're together. And I don't want to hear anything from either of you. Not tonight."

They didn't comment and followed her as she made their way to the elevator.

They arrived home at 2:00 am and exchanged hugs before all heading wordlessly to bed.

Except Jude couldn't sleep. Normally she had no problems at all sleeping. Especially now that she was pregnant. But every time she fell asleep she saw Hunter's face and heard his promise that he was going to kill her. She watched the clock as it turned 3:00, and then 4:00. It was useless. Without Tommy she wasn't going to get any rest at all.

She grabbed the phone on her night table and dialled Tommy's cell number. He answered after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Tommy, it's Jude."

"Is something wrong?" Tommy asked, his voice filled with worry.

"I can't sleep. I mean I can... but then I see Hunt—him," she corrected, unable to verbalize his name. "Are you still at the police station?"

"I just finished here and I'm about to head out. Do you want me to come there?"

"Can you?" Jude asked, her voice betraying her relief at his offer.

"Of course; I'm on my way."

She walked down the stairs to watch for him from the living room. Twenty minutes later she saw the Viper pull into the driveway and watched as Tommy began to walk up to the house. She rushed to the front door and opened it, letting him in silently. She kissed him quickly as he entered, then she locked the door behind them. Jude grabbed Tommy's hand, leading him quietly up the stairs into her room, shutting the door as soon as they were inside.

"Are you alright?" he asked sincerely, cupping her face with his hands.

"I am now," she said, nestling into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her back tightly and rubbed her back. After a few moments of standing like this in the middle of her room, Tommy pulled back, yawning. "Sleep?" he asked.

She nodded. He slipped off his jacket and shoes and they both got into Jude's bed. As soon as they were both lying down, Tommy positioned Jude inside his arms, her back pressed against his chest. The contact was constant and more comforting than Jude had thought possible. "Good night," he whispered in her ear, watching her eyelids flutter closed. He smiled as she drifted off into sleep, relishing the feel of lying with Jude wrapped in his arms. They were finally where they both belonged.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Jude was running through a thick fog, and she felt her breath quickening as her pace increased. Someone was following her. She looked around her and through the fog she recognized the familiar surroundings. A chill shot through her. She was on the long stretch of road that Hunter had brought her to. She turned her head back as she ran and saw who was behind her. It was Hunter and he was only a foot from her – and he was holding a gun aimed at her head. She felt her body shaking with fear as she tried to get away. But she couldn't. He was too fast.

She jolted out of the nightmare just as Hunter reached her. Just like in her dream she could feel her body shaking. She was no longer laying enclosed in Tommy's arms, but she could feel one of his arms slung around her waist. She heard his deep breathing close to her ear. It was steady and soothing and she felt her heartbeat slow to a normal pace. Lifting her hand to her forehead, she felt the moisture that had formed there during her nightmare. She glanced at the clock to see that it was 7:30. She'd been sleeping for only three and a half hours.

The memory of her nightmare, of Hunter coming so close to killing her again, made the bile rise in her throat. She slid out from under Tommy's arm and rushed to the washroom. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, praying she wouldn't have to be sick. She took a few deep breaths and the feeling finally passed. She splashed cold water on her face, wiping away the sweat that had formed during her nightmare. Looking at her pale reflection in the mirror, she saw the terror of her dream still reflected in her eyes. She took a deep breath and walked back across the hall to her room. As she closed the bedroom door behind her and walked to the bed she noticed immediately that Tommy wasn't asleep anymore.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

She didn't answer. She paused where she stood, contemplating his question. Was she alright? Physically she knew she was. She and the baby had been cleared by the doctor. But emotionally she was faltering. Was she ever going to forget the sensation of the gun's cold metal against her skin? She doubted it. Her hands were still shaking.

Even in the early morning darkness Tommy could see her fear and unsteadiness. He got up, moving to stand directly in front of her. He took her hands in his, his eyes meeting hers. His voice was quiet and soft. "You'll be okay. I know you think you won't but you will be."

"I don't know Tommy. I've never felt so… so helpless. And shaken. I mean he had me for hours. When I think of what he could have done in that amount of time--" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Tommy's eyes narrowed, "He didn't touch you, did he?"

"No, thank God. But he easily could have. I just feel so… I don't know. Like I'll never be truly okay or safe again."

He reached forward and pulled her gently into his embrace. As he tried to absorb her pain, his mind screamed at him the words he didn't want to admit._ This is my fault. All I ever bring to her life is pain_. He tried to push the thoughts aside, deny the truth of his own thoughts, but he couldn't. Because as much as he hated it – the words were true.

Jude pulled out of his embrace, smiling weakly at him. "Can we go to the studio now?"

Tommy looked at her, surprised. "Jude, you barely got any sleep. Are you sure you want—"

She cut him off. "Honestly I know I can't go back to sleep. And I really want to try and take my mind off what happened last night."

"Alright," Tommy conceded hesitantly, "if it's what you really want. You get changed and I'll wait for you downstairs." He kissed her forehead lightly, grabbing his jacket and putting on his shoes before he crept quietly out of the room.

As Tommy walked down the stairs he saw Stuart sitting in the living room glaring at him with obvious disdain. His gaze followed Tommy as he walked down the rest of the stairs and he got up to meet Tommy in the foyer.

"Mr. Harrison."

"Tommy, what are you doing here?"

"Jude called me. She couldn't sleep so I came by to help her. She's having a tough time dealing with everything that happened last night."

"Oh yes," Stuart said, sneering at Tommy, "another blast from your past that ends up hurting my daughter. How is it that always happens, Tommy? Do you have any more enemies from your past that will come out of the woodwork to hurt Jude?"

Tommy felt the guilt rising in him again. He'd never meant for any of this to happen. "Look, what happened with Hunter sucks. Really, it does. And I certainly never meant for any of it to affect Jude. I was a different person then, when I knew Hunter. But I've changed. Jude changed me."

"Really? Is that why you've hurt my daughter at every turn? Because of you, she's dealt with more heartache than one person should ever have to. And now, at only 18 years old she's pregnant. Do you think any of this would be happening if she hadn't met you?"

"Enough!" Jude yelled before Tommy could reply. Both men looked to see her standing at the top of the stairs, glaring at them both. She sailed down the stairs and grabbed Tommy's hand, pulling him towards the front door. "We're leaving, Dad. I'll talk to you later."

They settled in Tommy's Viper and he sped away quickly. He was wavering between feeling furious at Stuart for his accusations and feeling guilty because he knew that was Stuart had said was the truth. Apparently he just couldn't escape the truth today.

Jude glanced at him, seeing the anxiety on his face. "Tommy—" she began. "He's my dad and he's just overprotective. He'll come around." She put her hand on top of his on the great shift. He looked over briefly, smiling weakly. She could see he was clearly not convinced. They spent the rest of the ride in silence, both plagued by different worries.

When they arrived at the studio, they both got out of the car and made their way to the building, Jude noticing immediately the distance in Tommy's eyes. A sense of panic began to overtake her. This is how things had begun to spiral out of control in Thailand, with him isolating himself emotionally. She tried to push the thought out of her mind. They'd both been through a lot in the last day or two with Hunter. _All of this will be affecting him as much as it has to have been affecting me_.

She took his hand, leading him silently into Studio A. They sat down and worked on song ideas for a while before Spiederman, Wally, Kyle and Mason burst in the door.

"Jude!!" Spiederman yelled, rushing over to her and lifting her out of her chair to hug her tightly. "How is milady Harrison doing?" he joked.

Jude smiled at him as he released her from the hug. "I'm okay. Thanks to Tommy and Darius."

Kyle, Wally and Mason all took turns hugging her and chatting and Tommy sat in the same position, just watching the scene unfold. _She deserves one of them_, he thought to himself, _someone uncomplicated, simple. Someone who couldn't have put her in the danger she was in last night_. He glanced at her and saw Mason helping her to the chair.

He bolted out of his seat to Jude's side. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, yawning widely. "I'm just a lot more tired than I thought, I guess."

"Guys, we'll see you later. Jude needs some sleep, okay?" They all nodded in agreement and left as Tommy helped Jude up, placing an arm around her waist as they walked to his office. She lay down immediately on the couch in his office and within minutes she was sleeping. He stood above her watching her for a few minutes before moving to his desk to delve into some paperwork he had been neglecting.

He'd been working for almost 2 hours when Kwest knocked on the door lightly and entered. "Hey," he whispered, immediately noticing Jude sleeping on the couch.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Can I borrow you for a minute? Just a sound problem I'm having I'm hoping you can help with."

He hesitated looking at Jude's sleeping form. She was still sound asleep.

He got up and followed Kwest out the door into one of the studios.

It only took him about ten minutes to help Kwest with his sound engineering problem. He was just about to head back to his office when he heard screaming coming from that direction.

"Jude," he said breathlessly and ran into his office. She was sitting on the couch, crying and gasping for air. He kneeled in front of her, caressing her face and hair.

"I'm here, Jude," he soothed. "It's okay."

She was as pale as Tommy had ever seen her. She looked so fragile, so broken.

When she spoke, it was so quiet that Tommy almost couldn't hear her. "It was Hunter. He was there and he killed you and the baby. And there was nothing I could do about it," she whispered through her sobs. He moved to sit beside her on the couch, pulling her close to him. He felt the guilt settle on his shoulders even further. What had he done? He feared he was just beginning to see how deeply Jude was scarred from this. And it was all his fault.

When her sobs subsided, he touched her face lightly. "Let's go home, okay?"

She nodded in agreement and they walked out of the building, Tommy supporting her with an arm tightly wound around her waist.

Jude was quiet the entire ride home and Tommy didn't break the silence. He glanced over often to look upon her still-frightened face as she gazed out the window. He sighed quietly at the impact this was having on her. She was clearly terrified, even after the nightmare was over.

He pulled up the driveway and they got out of the car, still not saying anything. Jude was still lost in her thoughts of the dream.

Tommy guided her upstairs and helped her into her bed, knowing that the only thing that might help her was sleep. She lay on the bed and Tommy pulled the covers over her. She closed her eyes almost immediately.

As Tommy headed towards the door, he heard Jude call his name quietly. He turned to look at her.

"Stay with me, please. I need you," she whispered, a touch of desperation in her voice and unshed tears in her eyes.

He sighed. He sat on the edge of the bed, just out of her reach. "I'm exactly what you don't need right now. Don't you see that?" he said, more roughly than he meant to.

Jude sat up immediately, forcing the sleepiness from her brain. "What are you talking about?"

"This is all my fault," Tommy said, running a hand roughly through his hair. "I'm no good for you." He stood up and began to pace furiously.

"What are you saying?" Panic was setting in again as she saw the familiar look in his eye. The one he'd had when he told her to forget the kiss they shared when she was sixteen. The same one he'd had when he'd embarrassed her at her eighteenth birthday party.

"I'm saying that that you should have listened to every person who told you to stay far away from me." And with that, he strode quickly out of the room.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

It was a bad case of déjà vu. Tommy was acting the same way he had when things had begun to fall apart in Thailand. Jude's limbs felt heavy as she lifted her body off the bed to follow him. She ran into the hall and saw him striding quickly towards the front door.

"Tommy!" she called, standing at top of the stairs.

"I have to go. I have to think," he said quietly, sternly and without a backward glance he walked out, slamming the front door behind him.

Her body suddenly felt too heavy for her to hold up. She crumpled to the ground and sat on the top step, sobbing for him. Her tears came quickly and ripped the breath out of her chest. She had to breathe deeply to get any relief at all from the pain that was overtaking her. How was this happening? How did everything seem to be falling apart again, just when things had started to look up?

As she sat, sobbing and wallowing in her misery, she suddenly felt the baby kick strongly in her stomach. And her tears dried up almost immediately. She wasn't going to do this to herself again. She wasn't going to let Tommy disappear into his self-loathing. Her baby was too important for her not to fight for her and for him and whatever future they could have.

She took a deep, steady breath before using the banister to pull herself up. She rushed to the bathroom and cleaned her face of the tears she had just shed. Making her way downstairs, she pulled out her cell phone and dialled Kwest's number.

"Hello?," he answered almost immediately.

"Kwest, it's Jude. I need a favour."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I need to know where Tommy goes when he's mad or upset. Is there a certain place he goes to chill out or calm down?"

"What's going on, Jude? What happened?"

"Well, Tommy flipped out about what happened last night and rushed out of here. I think he blames himself because it was Hunter, someone from his past. The last thing he said to me was that I should have listened to everyone who told me to stay away from him."

Jude heard Kwest sigh on the other end of the line. "Tommy needs to give himself a break. After what happened to Angie, I'm not surprised he's reacting this way though."

"This is what happens every time we get really close to having something great. He pulls away, distances himself. I'm not going to let him do it anymore."

"Well, Jude, I wish you luck. Tommy carries around a lot of guilt about his past. And what happened with Hunter would have only reminded him of everything he's not proud of, of all the skeletons in his closet." He paused. "If you're going to go talk to him, the only place I can think that he would go is a bar called The Diamond Room. It's in the Bloor and Spadina area. It's an out of the way place where he used to go to get away from all the admiring fans back in the day. But be careful. They're not the friendliest bunch there. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Thanks, Kwest, but no, I'll be okay. If he's not there I won't be sticking around. Thanks for all your help." She hung up and grabbed her car keys, striding purposefully out the door to her car.

As she drove to the location Kwest had described, she realized that for the first time since Hunter's attack she was alone. A shiver pulsed through her back.

She thanked God that it was still late afternoon. The sun would be setting soon but at least for now there was still light around her. The darkness frightened her. It was in the darkness that Hunter had tried to kill her. Her hands started shaking just thinking about it.

She parked her car on the street near the intersection Kwest had mentioned and got out of the car to search for the bar. She walked slowly trying to take in all the crammed stores and restaurants along this busy street. Finally she saw a small opening, above which a dingy sign read "The Diamond Room". She could immediately sense that it was not a place she would ever go unless she was on a mission like she was today. She walked in the entrance and tried to adjust her eyes to the gloomy lighting of the bar. As her eyes gradually became accustomed to the darkness, she looked around for Tommy. For 4:30 in the afternoon it was surprisingly busy and she couldn't spot him among the crowd.

She walked further in and approached the bar, hoping to get a better view of things from there. But she had barely started looking before she felt someone leaning close to her.

"Hey Pretty Lady." The noxious smell of alcohol was almost too much for her. She turned around to look at the man who'd spoken to her. He was a rough looking guy, tall with long, greasy hair. She began to back away from him, but regardless of his drunken state he moved quickly in front of her. She was trapped between him and the bar. He leered at her, glancing all the way down her body. Just the look made her feel violated. She felt fear and nausea rush over her. She pressed her back as far as she could into the bar, wanting to avoid contact with this man as much as possible.

"What's the matter? I won't hurt you," he said, and then he leaned in closer to her ear and whispered, "unless you want me to." She shook with fear, putting her hand on her stomach protectively.

Before she could ponder how she was going to get away, the man was no longer standing in front of her. She watched as he was pulled away from her and thrown to the ground. She glanced up from him to see Tommy standing over him.

"Don't you DARE go near her ever again!!!" he seethed. Tommy's eyes were wide with anger.

The man recovered quickly and stood up. Then he lunged for Tommy but in his highly inebriated state Tommy was able to evade him. Tommy punched him three times in the jaw before the man fell to the ground again.

For the first time Tommy looked directly at Jude and saw her still-shaking form grasping the bar for support. He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the bar. When they reached the sidewalk, he let go of her and turned to face her.

"What the HELL are you doing here? How did you even know about this place?" He was still clearly angry, but at who Jude didn't know.

"I called Kwest and he told me where you might be. And why did I come? I should think that would be obvious. I came to talk, to find out what the hell is going on with you."

"Look, Jude. Just go home. I'll see you there later," he said dismissively.

"No! Don't you dare do this again!" she yelled, oblivious to the people passing by. "Do you have to make the same mistake ten times before you get it?!!? Every other time you've done this I've been too much of a coward to yell at you, to confront you but not this time. Because if you pull away again, that's it. I can't do this anymore!!! I love you," she said, her voice softening slightly, "but I won't keep letting you do this to me. You're either with me or you're not, here and now. I know you blame yourself, you think it was your fault. But it's not. Hunter was crazy. Don't ruin our chance because of him."

Tommy looked stunned by her outburst but also unconvinced. "Jude, because of my past you almost died last night," he stated sadly.

"Do you think I don't know how close I came to death last night?!!? But what do I get by dwelling on that? What happened last night was NOT your fault, whether you want to believe me or not. Don't you understand that I need you? We both need you!!" she yelled, placing her hands on her swollen belly. "You need to get over your past and face your future. But if you can't do it, tell me now before I get in too deep again. Tell me," she said, tears beginning to fall unheeded down her face, "and as hard as it will be I'll walk away right now and never look back."

Tommy looked directly in her eyes and saw the truth of her statement shining back at him. She wasn't bluffing.

Jude wiped at the tears, "Leave with me now, right now, or I won't be home when you get there."

He just stared at her, a troubled expression on his face, and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something. Jude could almost see the battle going on in his brain. She looked at him hopefully; then she saw his mouth close and he looked down at the ground, resigned.

She turned on her heel and walked away quickly, back to where her car was parked. As she walked she tried to hold off the sobs that were trying to escape her body. It was over. She couldn't believe it was actually over; everything she'd ever wanted with Tommy had faded away in a mere 10 seconds.

When she reached the car, she leaned on the hood for support as the unreleased sobs forced their way out. They were so powerful that she felt physically weak. Where was she going to go? And what the hell was she going to do now? She took a deep breath and wiped the still-falling tears from her eyes.

She took a step onto the road to make her way to the driver's side of her car when she felt someone grab her arm to pull her back onto the sidewalk.

She spun around and saw Tommy standing in front of her. Before she could react, he pulled her close, kissing her passionately, fiercely, determined to show her that he wasn't going anywhere. She could have sworn she felt time stop as Tommy's lips pressed against hers. It was the best feeling in the world; it meant that hope was not lost.

When he pulled his lips away from hers, he smirked at her. "You know, that was just like you. You give me an ultimatum and don't give me any time to actually answer it."

She pushed the hair out of her eyes, as if to make sure he was really standing in front of her. "I thought you weren't--"

He touched her face lightly, wiping away her tears with his thumb. His face became more serious. "Honestly I wasn't going to. But then, when you walked away… I just. I couldn't bear it. I knew I would be making the biggest mistake of my life if I let you walk away from me for good." He paused. "I love you," he said tenderly, "and I'm going to do what I can to let the past remain where it belongs."

He leaned in, touching her forehead with his. "Let's go home."


	17. Chapter 17 Part 1

Chapter 17 Pt 1.:

They tripped in the door, Tommy pushing Jude in without breaking their kiss. They'd been kissing intermittently since they left the bar, Tommy stealing kisses at the stop lights. Once they arrived in his driveway, they sat in the car for a long while making out. Their hands began to travel over each other's bodies and they decided wordlessly that they better move things into the house before they got arrested for indecent exposure.

Tommy kicked the door shut and kissed her passionately before pulling away, glancing at Jude for approval. She nodded. They both knew where this was headed.

And really, it was about goddamn time. They hadn't made love since they were in Thailand, since their dreams seemed to disappear in front of them.

He pulled her up the stairs behind him and into his bedroom, the one that had become hers once she moved in. They began to kiss again as soon as they reached the inside of the room. "You know how long I've dreamed that this would happen again?" Tommy asked, his breathing already ragged.

"Probably as long as I have," she said giggling. She was buoyant with happiness. He leaned down and kissed her again, all of her breath rushing out of her body.

As Tommy slipped his hands under her shirt, she froze.

He stopped the movement of his hands. "What's wrong?" Tommy asked immediately, noticing her hesitance.

"It's just… I don't know if this is… you know _safe_ for the baby," Jude said, almost whispering.

Tommy almost couldn't hold back his laughter. He was so glad he'd taken the initiative and prepared for this. "It is, trust me," he said, kissing her neck softly.

Jude looked up at him, puzzled. "I read the chapter on sex in the baby book," he whispered in her ear. "Believe me, it's more than okay."

"Only you," she said laughing and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, Tommy Quincy," she said, pulling back a little to look him in the eye.

"I love you too, Jude Harrison," he murmured, touching his lips to hers, first softly and then with more force.

They slowly, lovingly, each other's clothes and got underneath the covers. And as they made love, every touch, every caress expressed the love between them, the depth of which was endless and could never be properly expressed in words.

They spent the entire night wrapped in each other's arms making love and sleeping, enjoying the feel of their bodies so close.

As Jude woke up the next morning, she felt Tommy's arms still positioned around her waist. They were lying face to face and as she looked at Tommy she noticed that he was already awake.

"Good morning," she said, yawning from the little amount of sleep they'd both had last night. They'd had more important things to do.

"It is indeed," he said, smiling, and he placed a light kiss on her temple. "Best one I've had in a long time."

He kissing her neck teasingly and Jude laughed in response. "We really should get up, you know. Our little rock star is hungry," she said, rubbing her stomach, "and I think we should probably get to work. Considering I didn't get anything done yesterday."

Her mention of the previous day brought all her fears about Hunter crashing back down on her. In the bliss that she had experienced with Tommy in the last eight hours, she had managed to forget what had happened, the terror she had experienced with Hunter.

Tommy noticed the change in her demeanour as she thought about Hunter. "Are you alright?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Surprisingly, yes. I mean I had no nightmares last night, not that I had a lot of time for them," she said, smirking slightly. "The thought of what happened still gets to me. But being with you, it makes me feel safe and whole. It's scary to me at times," she said, her voice lowering to a whisper, "but I need you, more than I ever thought I'd need anyone."

He closed the distance between their bodies, leaning in to kiss her. He deepened the kiss, pouring all of his emotions into it.

He pulled back slightly, smiling. "Marry me."


	18. Chapter 17 Part 2

A/N: The song is Suzie McNeil's "The One," which, like everything else, I don't own.

Chapter 17 Pt 2:

Her jaw dropped at his words.

"Tommy, be serious," she said, thinking that there was no way he could be.

He lifted a hand to her face, caressing her cheek. "I've never been more serious in my life. I wanted to pull away before and give you a chance to escape the drama that surrounds me. But now, I just, I can't." He laid his hand on her stomach, "I grew up one of the youngest in a large family. Most of the time, no one even noticed I was around. All I ever wanted was to belong, to feel like I was part of something. With you and the baby, I feel like part of a family, part of something wonderful. I love you and I want to make us official. So, will you, Jude Harrison marry me, Tommy Quincy, flaws and all?"

She lifted both her hands to his face, and she felt the tears spring to her eyes. She nodded gently, unable to find her voice.

"Is that a yes?" he asked, hope filling his voice.

"Yes," she said as loudly as she could through her happy tears.

His face lit up and he leaned down to kiss her, cradling her face in his hands.

As they broke apart, she looked at him expectantly. "So where's the ring, Quincy?"

He laughed. "So you want one of those, do you?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Yes. I think all girls do."

"Alright, well if you insist." He rolled slightly away from her and reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a little black velvet box. He rolled back and handed it to her.

She eyed him curiously, opening it. She didn't think he'd actually have one since his proposal seemed so impromptu.

She popped the box open and looked at the gleaming diamonds. There was one larger diamond in the centre, and the band had diamonds in it as well. It was gorgeous but simple. Something Jude would have wanted if she'd picked it out herself.

She turned her attention back to him. "When did you have time to get this?"

He smirked. "I've had that, let's see…" he said, looking up, thinking to himself, "six months, at least."

"What?" she asked, her mouth dropping in shock.

"Well, right around the time all that stuff went down with G-Major, I was walking by a jewellery store and I saw it. And I immediately thought of you. I thought it was exactly the kind of ring I'd buy you if I asked you to marry me. So I bought it. Because I knew that day would eventually come. At least, I prayed it would."

A tear fell from her eye. She couldn't believe he'd been thinking that way even then when they weren't even together.

"It's beautiful, I love it."

"I hope it fits," he said sheepishly, taking the ring out of the box. I had to guess on the size since I couldn't exactly ask you. He slipped the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly. "There you go. I'd say it was meant to be," he said smiling and he leaned down to kiss the finger where he'd just placed the ring.

"I'd say so," she agreed.

They lay back, relaxing in each other's arms.

"Do we really have to leave this bed any time soon?" he asked, snuggling Jude closer to him, and planting kisses on her neck.

She laughed at the sensation. "Yes, I'd say we do. First I have to get our little one something to eat! And then, like I said, I think I should get back to work. In fact," she said sitting up, evading his kisses. "let's get going. I just got an idea for my next song."

Tommy rolled his eyes and slowly dragged himself out of bed. When Jude was inspired, there was no stopping her.

As Tommy drove to the studio, Jude was curled up on the passenger seat scribbling away in an old notebook. He hadn't seen her write in that one for a long time.

"What are you working on there?" He asked, trying to peer at her notes.

She moved it closer to the door so he couldn't see it. "Nothing, just an idea I had before that I'm updating."

He raised one eyebrow, expecting more information, but she just continued to write away. He shook his head, smiling. She certainly could be focused when she put her mind to it.

When they pulled into the parking spot, Jude still didn't budge. Tommy got out and walked around to her side, opening the door. She looked up at him surprised; she hadn't even realized that the car had stopped moving.

He offered his hand and she took it, slamming the door as she got out. Tommy grasped her hand in his and they walked into EE Records together. As soon as they entered, heads turned. Sadie rushed to her; they hadn't seen each other since the hospital. Mason, SME, Kwest and Jamie joined them as they all took note of who had arrived.

"Well, since you're all gathered here now, we might as well tell you our news."

"You're having another baby?" Wally asked.

Tommy just rolled his eyes at Wally's question. Jude laughed and said, "Umm, no, we haven't had this one yet." She placed her hands on her swollen belly for emphasis. "Actually, we're engaged."

The lobby erupted in squeals and hugs, most of the squealing coming from Sadie and Mason.

Jamie approached Tommy, stretching out his hand. Tommy accepted the handshake. "It's about time, I'd say."

Tommy just grinned. "I think so too." Jamie walked over to Jude as Speed approached Tommy.

Tommy rolled his eyes in anticipation of whatever stupid thing Speed was about to say. "So, do we call you Mr. Harrison now?"

Jude heard this as she walked up to Tommy and she burst into laughter as Tommy just glared. Jude hugged Speed tightly and accepted his actual heartfelt congratulations before he walked away.

"Come on, I wanna go record this song," she said as everyone dispersed, pulling Tommy into Studio A.

Kwest was already in there setting up for Jude's recording time. Jude kissed Tommy's cheek and then headed immediately into the booth, carrying her old notebook tightly under her arm.

Tommy sat down next to Kwest. "What's she working on today?" Kwest asked.

"I have no idea. Apparently it's a secret," Tommy replied, shrugging his shoulders.

They both put their headsets on, ready to listen.

Tommy nodded to Jude to start when she was ready.

She smiled at him, closed her eyes and then began to sing.

_I was born to be in your arms  
I was born to feel like this  
And every time that you come closer  
It's a rush I can't resist  
And when you call my name it's like you're lighting up the day  
Life is just more beautiful every step we take  
_

She opened her eyes wide, and looked over to Tommy, her eyes locking onto his for the rest of the song.

That's forever there in your eyes  
And that's heaven in your voice  
And when I think about the future  
To be with you is my only choice

'Cause when you're gone it feels as if the heart in me just stops  
I need you around, without you I get lost

You are the one for me  
From the moment that I saw you  
I knew you'd be my everything  
I can't get enough  
But you always give me what I need  
You are the one for me

You're the hand that's guiding me  
And made me see how love should be  
And I thank God for giving me my dreams

Tommy sat mesmerized, watching her pouring her heart into the song and listening to her voice and the lyrics. He wiped a single tear off his face; he was so moved by her words.

As soon as she was finished he stood and made his way into the booth, pulling her tightly against him and kissing her hungrily. He kissed her long and hard, only pulling back when he felt the need for oxygen what seemed like hours later. They both glanced over to see that Kwest had mysteriously disappeared.

"Girl, that was beautiful. I loved it," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. He still held her tightly in his arms.

"You know I wrote a version of that song the day after my seventeenth birthday. You're not the only one who's been thinking about us before we were even an "us". When you told me the story about the ring today, it hit me that I had this song already written and thought it was a good time to bring it out and record it."

He leaned in to kiss her again, but was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. "Hold that thought," he said, touching her lips with his forefinger.

"Hello?... Hey..." There was a long pause as Tommy listened intently. "Okay, thanks for letting me know. I'll talk to you later." He hung up the phone.

"Now, where was I?" He asked, before he pressed his lips firmly onto hers.

Jude broke apart from him a minute later, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What was the phone call about?"

"I was going to wait until later to bring it up. But, since you're so nosy," he said, smirking, "It was Darius. He just called to let me know that he's not going to be charged with Hunter's death." He saw Jude shiver at the mention of Hunter's name. He reached forward and squeezed her shoulders. "Since Darius' and my stories both jive and point to self-defense, they're not going to need to talk to you any further than they did that night."

Jude pressed herself into Tommy's chest and he wrapped his arms around her, both of them relieved. "Good. Now it can finally just be over," she said. "And we can all have a fresh start."

"Sounds good to me," Tommy said, pressing a kiss to her temple.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

_Three Months Later…_

"Are you sure you want to find out?" Tommy asked Jude as they sat hand-in-hand in the doctor's office. "We've put it off this long. I thought you wanted to be surprised."

Jude rubbed her very large belly. She was seven months pregnant. And completely loving it. "Yes, I finally want to know if I'm carrying a mini Tommy or a mini Jude. Besides, I want to start decorating the nursery in colours other than green and yellow."

"Alright, I leave the decision up to you," Tommy said, smirking widely. Tommy felt like he had been smiling for three months straight. Ever since he and Jude reunited and then got engaged, he had been happier than he had thought possible.

They had been slowly planning their wedding for shortly after the baby was born. Tommy had wanted to get married immediately but Jude insisted that they wait until she lost the baby weight and could wear a proper wedding dress. "I only plan on doing this once so I want to do it right," she had said. And Tommy just couldn't argue with that.

They had also been working on Jude's new record and preparing the nursery. Their new life together was coming together perfectly. And, although they were both blissfully happy, they both had to admit to wondering when the other shoe was going to drop, like it always seemed to.

"Have you thought about what you want the baby to be?" Jude asked, squeezing Tommy's hand.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just want the baby to be healthy. That's all I really care about," he said, smiling. "And I want you healthy too," he added, leaning towards her and kissing her softly.

While Tommy was kissing Jude, the doctor strode quickly through the door. "Sorry to interrupt," he said jokingly.

Jude blushed a dark shade of crimson and hid her face in Tommy's shoulder.

"No need to feel embarrassed, Miss Harrison. You're pregnant. I'm going to assume you've done much more than just kiss this gentleman."

Tommy just smiled proudly while Jude looked down at the floor, mortified.

"Now to get down to business, Jude, if you get ready for the ultrasound, we'll find out how you're baby is doing."

Jude stood up and walked the short distance to the patient's table. She got up on it and adjusted her shirt and pants to reveal her blossoming belly. Tommy sat in the seat beside the table, grasping her hand tightly while the doctor applied the jelly and the began to perform the ultrasound.

"Now you two do not want to know the sex of the baby, correct?"

Jude glanced at Tommy who nodded in agreement. "We do, actually," she corrected the doctor.

"Are you sure?" the doctor asked, a little surprised they had changed their minds.

"Yes, we're sure," Tommy answered, squeezing Jude's hand.

"Okay," the doctor said, moving the ultrasound machine across Jude's stomach. He turned his head to look at both Jude and Tommy.

He smiled as he gave them the news. "You're having a little boy."

Jude turned to Tommy, tears already streaming down her face. He hugged her tightly, awkwardly as he tried to avoid touching her jelly-covered belly.

"We're having a boy," she whispered in his ear. As Tommy pulled back, he wiped a tear off his own face. Knowing the sex of the baby made everything seem even that more real. And even more amazing.

"He's doing just great. I expect no complications."

Jude smiled at Tommy; she could feel the happiness radiating from her. Tommy and a healthy baby. Could she ask for more than that?

As they drove away from the doctor's office, Jude turned to look at Tommy. "I want to go shopping."

"Shopping?" He said, raising his eyebrows. He hated shopping.

"Yes, baby shopping. We need to get clothes. And boy stuff. Come on. It'll be fun," she said, trying to entice him.

"Alright," he said resigned, bringing her hand to his lips. "Why is it I can't resist giving you whatever you want?"

"I guess I'm just irresistible," she said, pursing her lips in a mock seductive look. They both laughed as Tommy directed his car towards the mall.

"What do you think about these ones?" Jude asked, holding up two blue sleepers.

"They're fine," Tommy groaned, yawning widely. He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened in shock. They'd been at the mall for two hours.

Tommy watched as Jude examined the sleepers, and then put them back. Tommy rolled his eyes in frustration.

As Jude turned back to the multitude of baby clothes in front of them, Tommy's phone began to ring. "Hello?" he said, putting his phone to his ear. "Right now?... Okay, I'll be right there."

He turned to Jude who was a few feet away, comparing a couple more baby outfits.

"As fun as this has been," he said sarcastically, "I have to go."

"Oh?" Jude said, turning around and shooting him an exaggerated pout.

"Tell you what," Tommy began, rubbing his hands up and down Jude's arms, "You stay here, shop 'til you drop and I'll meet you at home later. I'll even let you drive the Viper home," he said, pulling the keys out of his pocket and dangling them in front of her.

She grabbed the keys. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Quincy."

"Alright, soon-to-be Mrs. Quincy. Be careful with the car. I love you," he said and he leaned forward to kiss her quickly on the cheek. He began to walk away and couldn't help looking back and smiling at the sight of her in her glory shopping for baby clothes. She was just so damn beautiful, inside and out.

Tommy took a cab to the studio and began to work on what Kwest had called him about. It was a group he was producing alongside Jude. Their album was almost finished and just a few touches needed to be added before their album was ready to be released. But they were under a tight schedule and really should have been done mixing already.

They worked for a couple of hours before Speed ran into the studio, a look of panic on his face.

"What's up?" Tommy asked, hoping it wasn't just another one of Spiederman's stupid gags.

"You gotta come see the TV in the lobby. There's been a massive accident on Yonge Street, only about 8 blocks from here."

Tommy and Kwest both stood up and followed Speed into the lobby to see what he was talking about. There were a few people already gathered around the television as news reports and footage of the crash scene flashed across the screen.

It looked pretty serious and everyone was glued to the TV. But Tommy couldn't help remembering that he had work to do.

He had just begun to walk back to the studio when Speed said, "Hey Tommy, that looks like your car."

Tommy's head shot up and he spun on his heel, rushing back to the television.

He noticed immediately that the car Speed was talking about was pretty badly damaged.

And he felt the ground shake beneath him when he realized that it had his license plate.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Tommy covered his face with his hands, unable to look at the television any more. "No… No!!" He yelled.

Kwest laid his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Man, what is it?"

Tommy put his hands down and spoke for the first time in minutes. "That's my car." He just stood, paralyzed, staring at the images of broken glass and crushed metal flashing on the television.

Mason and Speed were among the others looking at the TV. "How did your car get there?" Speed asked, the obvious question everyone was contemplating. Tommy was the only one who ever drove his Viper. He didn't even let Kwest, his best friend, drive that car.

Tommy didn't answer. His face was pale and he wasn't listening to anyone, simply staring helplessly at screen.

A thought hit Mason and he approached Tommy, panicked. "Was Jude driving that car?"

Tommy turned his head slowly towards Mason. He nodded, the devastation permeating from his eyes.

"Tommy, we have to go to the hospital. They said on the news they were taking victims to Toronto General Hospital."

Then as if he was finally waking up, Tommy pulled out his cell phone and called Jude's number. "Maybe she wasn't in the car," he said, more to himself than anyone else. He let the phone ring ten times before closing the cell phone, tears staining his face. In a burst of frustration and violence, he threw the cell phone to the ground where it smashed into a million pieces.

"I gotta go, I gotta find her..." he said, his words almost incoherent.

"I'll drive you," Mason offered. Tommy nodded and headed out the door as Mason stayed back a second. "Kwest, call Sadie, Mr. Harrison and Jamie. Get them to the hospital as soon as possible. You and I both saw that crash. It doesn't look good."

Kwest pulled his cell phone out. "I know," he said quietly.

Tommy was silent on the drive to the hospital. "She'll be okay, you know that right?" Mason said, trying to give some comfort, even if he wasn't sure if he believed it himself.

Tommy turned his head to glance at Mason, a menacing look on his face. "How exactly do I know that?" he asked, the bitterness and anger rising in him. "Did you see the crash? And all the blood on the road?" He turned his head back around to look out the window. "I should have stayed with her. She's seven months pregnant!! Why do I have to fuck up every good thing in my life??"

Mason didn't know how to respond. He and Tommy had never been very close. "Look, I don't know you that well, but I know Jude. She is one of my best friends. She's strong and she's a fighter. Heck, I'm scared of her most of the time. And you know if she was here right now she'd tell you to stop blaming yourself. She loves you and that baby more than anything. She'd want you to pull yourself together and get to the hospital so you can see her, catch her talking to her stomach for the millionth time today."

"We just found out we're having a boy," Tommy said pensively, wiping a few tears off his face.

Mason drove on, feeling a great sense of powerlessness knowing that there was really nothing he could say to help Tommy. "Oh God…" he muttered, looking ahead of him. They were going to be passing right by the crash scene on the way to the hospital. Mason had been too caught up in his own worry to even think about the route he was taking.

"Tommy, I'm so sorry…" Mason said remorsefully but Tommy didn't hear him. Tommy just stared out the window as they were diverted by the police slowly around the crash. Tommy could see what remained of his prized Viper. In retrospect, he knew that the car meant nothing. It was a car, a piece of metal. And judging by the severe damage to the Viper's front end, it was a piece of metal that had not protected the two people he loved most in the world.

By the time Mason and Tommy arrived at the hospital, Tommy was doing his best not to be hysterical. The drive over had given him more time to panic about the crash and what could be wrong with Jude and their baby boy. Instinctually he knew he wouldn't survive if anything happened to them. His whole world revolved around Jude and the family they were creating. He wasn't strong enough to deal with devastation like that, and he knew it.

Tommy rushed in the emergency room entrance, with Mason not far behind.

They approached the nurses' desk and Tommy impatiently shouted, "Excuse me, I'm looking for Jude Harrison, she's seven months pregnant and was in the car accident only half an hour ago."

"And you are?" the nearest nurse asked.

"I'm Tommy Quincy, her fiancé and the baby's father." He felt like he was dying inside. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it together. Not knowing was torturous.

The nurse walked over to her files and sifted through them. "Oh yes," she said, turning back to Tommy. "Miss. Harrison is in surgery."

"Any news on the baby?" Mason asked, uttering the words he knew Tommy couldn't.

The nurse smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry. That's all the information I have right now. If you sit over there in the waiting area, we'll bring you any information as soon as we have it." The nurse's face was full of kindness and Tommy knew she meant what she said.

Tommy and Mason walked the small distance to the waiting room but Tommy couldn't sit. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest and he was having trouble catching his breath. He could feel the panic spread through him like it was in his blood. He began pacing in the waiting room when he saw Sadie, Stuart and Jamie rush in. He walked to meet them halfway. "She's in surgery," he said quietly, before they even asked.

Stuart's eyes were puffy from tears. "I can't believe my little girl was in that accident. I saw it on TV but I never imagined—"

Tommy turned his face away from them to allow more tears to fall. He wiped at them furiously and suddenly felt himself swept up in a strong embrace. Stuart's grip was strong, pulling the man his daughter loved into a hug, one of shared pain and shared love for a woman who held both their hearts in her hands. They hadn't often seen eye to eye but the one thing they could always agree on was their love for Jude.

"I just… I don't know what to do…" Tommy rambled through his tears.

"I know," Stuart said. "She'll be okay. She has to be." He released Tommy as Tommy nodded in agreement.

They all waited for hours in the waiting room. They kept requesting information but there was nothing new. Tommy didn't know what to think. Was it a good thing that it was taking so long for any information to come from the operating room?

Finally Tommy saw the nurse eyeing them as someone handed her a file. She nodded and immediately began to walk over. Tommy jumped out of his chair, anticipating her approach.

"The doctor is coming down to talk to you, but I thought I'd give you the information I do know. Because of the trauma, the doctor had to deliver the baby by caesarean section."

Tommy's eyes widened. "Is he—"

"He's premature so there is always the risk of complication. But based on the chart, he seems to be doing quite well considering what he's been through tonight. He'll likely have to be in the hospital for the next month at least."

"What about Jude?" Tommy asked, scared to hear the answer.

The nurse's face darkened slightly. "Well, she's alive." Tommy released a deep breath. "But I better let the doctor fill you in on Miss. Harrison's condition. Actually, I see Dr. Stevens right there. I'll get him for you." As she walked away to get the doctor, Tommy turned to the others.

"She's alive," he said, almost breathless with relief.

"Thank God," Stuart said, the joy evident on his face.

The doctor walked over and asked, "You're here for Jude Harrison?" The four of them nodded in response. "She had fairly serious internal injuries from the accident along with some more minor cuts and bruises. What we're most concerned about is the fact that, although she's been in recovery for a while, she hasn't woken up yet."

Tommy could feel the panic settling in again. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, the sooner she wakes up the better. I can't really give any long term diagnosis until we run some more tests. But I was hoping she'd already have woken up already. I'm hoping the tests will give us a better idea why she hasn't awoken. I'll let you know any more as soon as I can."

"Can we see her?" Tommy asked.

"As soon as she's out of recovery, I'll have one of the nurses show you to her room." He turned to Tommy. "If you'd like, I can get one of the nurses to take you up to see your son."

Tommy felt a small glimmer of joy. His son. The baby he and Jude had been waiting for months to finally meet.

"I'd love to," he said and glanced at the others.

"We'll come and get you if we hear anything about Jude," Jamie offered.

"Thanks," he said, and followed the nurse towards the elevator.

As they reached the pediatric floor, and Tommy began to follow the nurse towards the nursery, he couldn't help but have mixed emotions. He wanted to see his son. But he also felt that this was wrong. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't be meeting him for the first time alone. Jude should be here. His concern over Jude's condition caused another few tears to escape his eyes.

The nurse led him into the ward for premature babies and motioned for him to sit in a rocking chair. He complied and a minute later the nurse walked back to him, holding a small baby in her arms. His and Jude's miracle.

She wordlessly laid the baby in Tommy's arms and Tommy moulded his arms to hold the baby close. "Just make sure you keep him warm. I'll be back in a few minutes to put in back in the incubator," the nurse said and promptly left to give Tommy a few moments with his son.

Tommy looked down at the beautiful sleeping form. He'd never seen anything so amazing. He was so small and fragile. And Tommy swore he could already see Jude in this precious life.

"Hey little man," Tommy whispered, staring down at his son. "Your mom and I have been waiting for a long time to see you." He felt a tear slip down his cheek. "Since your mom isn't here, I thought I'd fill you in on a few things about her. See, your mom is one of those rare people who enters your life only once in a lifetime. I remember the moment she entered mine. She was this crazy red-haired teenager with fire in her eyes and the voice of an angel. I think I loved her almost instantly and that love has only gotten stronger. And I'm lucky enough that she feels the same way. And you, you're our little miracle, our Godsend. Your mom and I love you more than you will ever know. And I can't wait until she's here and you can hear that from her yourself."

Tommy looked up as the nurse re-entered the room. She smiled as she walked over to where Tommy was sitting. "He's beautiful," she said as Tommy reluctantly gave him back so she could place him back in the incubator. Tommy felt torn. He wanted to stay with his baby but he needed to find out how Jude was. He reluctantly walked out of the nursery and went back down to the emergency room.

As he re-entered the waiting room, Stuart approached. "How's my grandson?"

"He's good. He's beautiful, just like his mom," Tommy said quietly. "Any news yet?"

"No, nothing yet."

As if on cue, the doctor reappeared in the waiting room, and walked towards them. "She's out of recovery but she still hasn't awoken yet. There's not much else I can tell you. Her tests show some swelling around the brain, most likely from the impact of the crash. We just have to wait, and hope that the swelling decreases."

Tommy knew that wasn't good news. All he could think was that he needed to be with her.

"Can I see her?" Tommy asked.

"Of course. But only one visitor at a time. It's room 214." Tommy turned towards Stuart, who motioned for Tommy to go ahead.

He walked slowly into her room and saw her still form lying on the bed. He sat in the chair next to the bed and grabbed her hand gently, holding it between both of his. He leaned down and kissed her hand, then rested his brow on their intertwined hands.

"Jude, I need you to come back to me. I hope you can hear me because you need to know that I love you. I need you more than ever. I can't do any of this without you. Without you I can't even breathe, it's like I'm paralyzed. Please, just wake up. I need you, our son needs you." And he sat, gripping her hand, crying for the only woman who had ever captured his heart.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Tommy sat with Jude for a long while before he recognized that he needed to let the others see her too. The thought of leaving her was excruciating. All he wanted to do was lie down beside her and hold her in his arms.

As he stood, his hands still joined with hers, he took one last look, taking in her face covered in bruises and cuts, and her swollen body, no longer from the effect of her pregnancy.

The sight was devastating. He didn't even know how to process it. The worst part was that there was absolutely nothing he could do. He had never felt so powerless, so useless in his entire life.

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm here, Jude," he whispered. A tear from his eye fell onto her face below him, which he gently wiped away with his thumb. "Listen to my voice and know that I'll be right here waiting for you until you wake up."

He squeezed her hand and placed it back on the bed beside her body. He reluctantly walked down the hall back towards the waiting room to allow someone else to visit with her. He wanted to be selfish and stay but that wasn't fair. He wasn't the only one who loved Jude.

He nodded to Stuart, who rushed down the hall towards his daughter's room.

Tommy's body slumped down into the waiting room chair between Mason and Sadie. No one spoke. There wasn't anything to say, really. They were all just waiting, praying for some good news.

Tommy's thoughts kept returning to the last time he'd seen her at the mall this afternoon. She was having such a good time shopping for their little boy. Tommy chastised himself for not being more enthusiastic about shopping with her.

He should never have left her.

All of a sudden he saw a hand in front of him holding out a cup of coffee.

He lifted his head to see Kwest standing in front of him with bloodshot eyes. It was evident to Tommy that Kwest had been crying. It hit Tommy that he had always been rather selfish regarding Jude. He always thought of her as "his girl," which she was. But she was so important to so many people, like Kwest and the SME boys, who Tommy noticed out of the corner of his eye had just arrived and approached Sadie.

"Thanks," Tommy said, taking the cup from Kwest. Kwest nodded wordlessly and took the seat beside Tommy that had been vacated by Sadie, who was now standing filling Speed, Wally and Kyle in. Tommy noticed Spiederman wipe a few tears off his face.

He took a sip but quickly put it down on the table in front of them. The coffee tasted like acid to his already upset stomach.

He looked around at everyone and saw the devastation written on all of their faces. He felt a wave of panic wash over him. _What if she wasn't okay?_

"This can't be happening," he muttered quietly, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. He leaned his elbows on his thighs and buried his head in his hands.

He felt Kwest's supportive arm on his shoulders.

"It's my fault," Tommy said, finally expressing what he had been feeling since he'd seen the car crash on the television.

"Tommy, that's ridiculous. I know you seem to like carrying around a lot of guilt but I'm not going to let you do that to yourself this time." Kwest snapped.

Tommy lifted his head, turning to face Kwest. "I should have been there; I should have been the one driving. Who knows what happened? She wasn't used to driving the Viper. I'm such an idiot and Jude and our son are paying for it."

Kwest looked at him, surprised. "Tommy, didn't you hear? I heard on the news on the way over that it was a drunk driver who hit Jude. There was nothing you could have done. If you had been in that car, you would be in the hospital too. In fact, from what I saw on the television after you guys left, the brunt of the impact was on the passenger's side of the car. If you had been driving and Jude had been in the passenger's seat, think of how much worse the situation would be."

Tommy stood up and began pacing the floor. He was feeling restless and he didn't know how much longer he could stand doing nothing but waiting.

"Let's go for a walk," Kwest suggested. "You need to blow off some of that steam."

Tommy nodded at Kwest, and turned towards everyone. "Sadie, we'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," she said, and Kwest squeezed her hand supportively before walking off with Tommy.

"Man, I'm sorry, you should be with Sadie, not me," Tommy said.

"Don't worry man. Sadie knows I'm here for her. Besides, she's got SME, her dad, even Mason. I know you man and you need me more than she does right now. You close yourself off from people except those who push themselves into your life. Besides me and Jude, who have you got? I know you need a friend, man. Sadie understands."

Tommy nodded his head and continued to walk down the hall. "I don't know what I'm going to do if something happens to her. The baby, he's beautiful man. You should see him. He's already got Jude's mouth," Tommy said, smiling at the memory of holding his son. "But without Jude, I won't be able to do it. Any of this. I need her, more than I ever thought it was possible to need another person. I always prided myself on surviving on my own, not really caring about other people. But this life, with Jude and our baby, that's it for me. Take everything else away and I wouldn't care. But don't take them. Jude, she's all I ever wanted; she, and now the baby, they're all I care about."

Tommy looked around noticing that they had arrived at the elevator corridor. "Why, Kwest? Why is this happening?" Tommy asked, yelling. And in a surge of anger, he slammed his hand in the nearest wall.

"I don't know, Tom," Kwest said simply. "I wish I did." Kwest reached forward, pressing the button for the elevator, earning a curious look from Tommy. "Take me to see your son, Tom. I want to meet him."

Kwest really did want to see the baby but he also suspected this might be the only thing that would help Tommy at this point.

The elevator doors slid open and Tommy and Kwest walked on, Tommy pushing the button for the pediatric floor.

When they reached the floor, Tommy led Kwest wordlessly down the hall until they reached the nursery where they could see all the babies through the glass.

Towards the middle of the last row of incubators, Tommy instantly recognized his son. He pointed, pressing his forefinger to the glass. "That's him," he said, not taking his eyes off the sleeping baby.

Kwest laughed, "He does have Jude's mouth. I'll be damned. I think he's got your hair, though dude. It looks pretty stylish already."

This elicited a smile and a small chuckle from Tommy, who felt instantly guilty for laughing when Jude was fighting for her life.

Kwest sensed Tommy's hesitance immediately. "Tommy, Jude would want you to be happy for the baby's sake. Don't feel guilty for being happy to see your son. You know she wouldn't want that."

"I know," Tommy said, looking at Kwest. "It's just so hard. She should be here."

"And she will be," Kwest said simply. The two men stood for a few more minutes silently taking in the sleeping child, who was adorable even with all the tubes he had in him.

"We should get back downstairs in case there's any news," Kwest said reluctantly, glad to see Tommy finding a bit more peace while in the presence of his son.

Tommy took one more glance at his son and pressed his hand to the glass. "I'll be back, little man," he said quietly. Then slowly, he and Kwest walked away, back towards the elevator.

"He's beautiful, man," Kwest said, smiling.

"I know. Just like his Mom," Tommy commented longingly.

"That's for sure. He had to get the good looks somewhere," Kwest joked.

Tommy smirked. "Very funny."

As they arrived back at the waiting room, Tommy felt reality dawning back on him. Visiting the baby had been a nice reprieve, but now he felt the full force of all his worry and anxiety for Jude settling back on his shoulders.

Everyone but Mason, who Tommy assumed was in with Jude, was sitting in the waiting room.

Everyone seemed focused on the television which was hanging from the ceiling above where they were sitting.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked as he and Kwest approached.

Sadie held up one finger, motioning for him to be quiet.

Tommy began to watch the reporter and realized she was at the accident scene. "We've just had confirmation that the drunk driver has been released from the hospital with minimal injuries. He's now in police custody."

Tommy felt the anger rising within. "What??!!" He yelled, his rage ignited. "He did this to Jude and he walks away with barely a scratch?? How is that fair?? I'll kill him myself for what he's done!"

"You can't do that, dude." Speed says, moving to stand in front of Tommy. "Think about Jude. Is that what she'd want you to do?"

"Somebody has to pay for this."

"Dude," Spiederman cried, his voice becoming louder, "We all love her. We all want to kill him. But Jude is the last one who would condone something like that. And you know it."

Tommy did know Speed was right. Jude was much kinder than he was and would never wish for revenge.

"I know," Tommy said, defeated. He threw himself into one of the nearby chairs. "I just feel so… powerless. I want to help her, I want to do something."

Mason, who had come back from Jude's room unnoticed, spoke up. "Just go be with her. That's what she would want."

He observed everyone nodding in agreement. They all knew that's exactly what Jude would want – Tommy as close as possible.

He stood up and walked down the hall towards her room. He stopped in the doorway, just taking in the sight of her battered body.

It was extremely hard to take. Like the baby, she had tubes in her nose and mouth and an IV running into her arm.

He sat in the chair beside the bed, moving it as close as possible towards her. He reached down and took her hand in both of his. Laying his forehead on her hand, he closed his eyes. And he sat there, praying silently for her to come back to him.

He only opened his eyes when he heard a voice coughing lightly, trying to get his attention. He turned and noticed the doctor standing in the doorway.

"Any news?"

"There's been no change. You might as well head home, Mr Quincy. Get some rest and come back in the morning. We'll call if there's any change."

"With all due respect, Doctor, I can't leave. Right now this hospital is my home. Jude, my son. They're my life. Wherever they are is where I'll be. Without them, I have nothing," Tommy said, his voice hoarse from the depth of his emotion.

The doctor smiled sympathetically. "I'll come back in a bit and check on her condition."

Tommy turned back towards Jude, lifting her hand to his lips. "I love you, Jude. And I'm never leaving you. All you have to do is return the favour."

He leaned back slightly in his chair and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. It had been a long day. He hadn't felt this tired in a very long time. He could feel his body relaxing, preparing for the onset of sleep.

He tried to pry his eyes open but his body forced them closed again. As Tommy fell asleep with Jude's hand tightly enclosed in his own, he dreamt about all of the good times their future would hold – if only Jude would wake up.


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: I don't own anything, including the song "Storm" by Lifehouse.

Chapter 21:

_3 Weeks Later…_

Tommy strode into the nursery purposefully. "Hey Doris, Sarah," he said, waving on his way to his son's incubator. He'd been there everyday since the child's birth and the nurses were accustomed to his presence.

While his son had to stay in the incubator, Tommy was allowed to put his hand through the openings in the glass and touch his son's hand, a simple way of letting him know that his daddy was there. Just the day before, the little guy had wrapped his hand around Tommy's finger for the first time. And right in the middle of the nursery, Tommy had begun to sob. This was, for him, a sign that his son was getting better. But it was also another thing that happened without Jude there to witness it. Although he tried to deny it and push the thought from his mind, he was beginning to wonder if she ever would be.

It had been three weeks and she hadn't woken up yet.

Everyone was trying to stay hopeful. The doctors had told him that there was no real medical reason why Jude shouldn't wake up. There was no visible brain injury or internal injury. Tommy could see that the doctors really couldn't explain what was going on.

As much as all their friends and Jude's family were trying to remain positive, Tommy could tell that their hope was waning with every day that passed. Just the other day he'd walked in Jude's room to witness Mason crying hysterically, as if he was mourning for her. Even Sadie had become more doubtful about her recovery.

But Tommy refused to believe that she was going to die. It wasn't something that he could even process.

She was his girl. She was 18 years old and a new mom. And she was about to become his wife. God couldn't be that cruel to him, or her.

He wouldn't believe it, no matter what the doctors or anyone else said.

He forced his thoughts back to the little baby in front of him. Tommy couldn't believe that next week he would be a month old. Tommy had taken a picture almost everyday to document how he had changed even in the first month. He wanted to make sure when Jude woke up she hadn't missed out on too much.

The still-unnamed baby was getting bigger and healthier, and the doctor said there were no signs of any complications or problems.

"Hey, little man," Tommy said, putting his hands through the opening in the glass. The baby's little fingers wound around one of Tommy's and Tommy smiled instinctually.

"I'm going to see your mom in a few minutes. I'll make sure to tell her how big you're getting. You know, before I met your mom I didn't believe much in fate or love or miracles. I was a messed up guy. That's what I did; I messed things up and people expected it from me. But not your mom. She never let me away with my crap. She expected me to be a good person because she saw through all the garbage to who I really was. She made me a good person because she believed I could be one. And then she gave me you. When I found out your mom was pregnant, and I thought I might lose you before I even knew that you existed, I was really scared. But now you're here. You're our very own miracle."

He stood watching his son for a while before he said goodbye to the baby and headed down the hall to Jude's room.

He felt so torn. He wished he could split himself in two so that one of him could spend all his time with the baby and one could spend all his time with Jude.

Every time he turned around the corner into Jude's room, he prayed that he would see her awake and laughing. But it had yet to happen. And today was no exception.

He sighed, pausing slightly in the doorway, and then made his way over to the bed, leaning over her to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Hey baby," he whispered, brushing a piece of hair off her face.

He collapsed into the chair next to the bed. He was tired, emotionally and physically.

He leaned near the bed, and took a hold of Jude's hands. "I went and saw our son and he's doing so well."

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the guitar case propped against the wall. He got up, walking around to the other side of the bed and opened the case, taking out the guitar. He had brought the guitar last week and left it here so that anyone that wanted could play for her. He figured it couldn't hurt. Jude's life revolved around music and he hoped that maybe music would help bring her back to them.

He took his seat by the bed again, and balanced the guitar on his leg. He strummed a bit, testing it.

Ever since the accident, Tommy had been unable to sleep. For the last three months, every night Jude had been next to him and Tommy only had to reach for her or pull her close to confirm that she was really there with him. But now at night he felt so alone. Without her warm body next to him, he just tossed and turned futilely.

Last night he had been unable to stay lying in bed and he had gotten up and pulled out one of his guitars. He was so consumed with thoughts of everything so he did the only thing he knew how to do with those thoughts. He wrote a song.

And now, sitting in Jude's hospital room, the chords he'd played and the lyrics he had written rushed back as he began to sing the song to Jude.

_How long have I been in this storm?  
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form  
Water's getting harder to tread  
With these waves crashing over my head_

Tommy genuinely felt like he was drowning. There was no better way to describe how lost he felt without her.

He closed his eyes, singing the rest of the song as he became overwhelmed with memories of their happiness over the past couple of months.

_If I could just see you  
Everything would be all right  
If I'd see you  
This darkness would turn to light_

_And I will walk on water  
And you will catch me if I fall  
And I will get lost into your eyes  
I know everything will be alright  
I know everything is alright_

_I know you didn't bring me out here to drown  
So why am I ten feet under and upside down  
Barely surviving has become my purpose  
Because I'm so used to living underneath the surface_

_If I could just see you  
Everything would be all right  
If I'd see you  
This darkness would turn to light_

_And I will walk on water  
And you will catch me if I fall  
And I know everything will be alright  
I know everything will be alright_

By the time he was done singing and he opened his eyes again, he was crying, all the emotions of the song magnifying the pain he was feeling sitting staring at her still, battered body.

He propped the guitar against the wall and sat on the edge of the bed, squeezing her cold hands tightly. The tears were flowing steadily from his eyes.

"You've got to wake up, Jude. I know I keep saying that, but that's because it's true. I can't let you go; this can't be your time. You've got to wake up so we can name the baby. Think of everything we still have left to do." He said, the desperation evident in his voice as his tears landed on her hands. "We're getting married. After years of messing it up, we've finally got it together. Our son's going to grow up and say his first word and go to school. And you have to be there to share all of it with me. I want to have a life with you, a home and more kids running around driving us crazy. I want us to live until we're 90 and even then I'm going to have to die first. Because Jude, I'm not me without you. I'm just a shell of the person that you make me. The rest of the world doesn't see the real me. But you do. You always have." He leaned his head down and kissed her hands.

And as he was about to move back to his chair, he swore he felt her squeeze his hand lightly.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

Tommy stared down at his hand. Had she actually squeezed his hand or was he imagining it? He continued staring down at her fingers and saw them move again, almost imperceptibly.

"Jude…" he said, softly, his gaze moving up to her face as he leaned down towards her. "If you can hear me, open your eyes."

He didn't move; he didn't breathe. He just waited.

And as he watched, nothing happened.

Tommy sighed loudly, resigned to the fact that it had just been his imagination.

But just as he was about to look away, her eyelids began to flutter; she was trying to open her eyes.

"Jude, it's Tommy. I'm here. Please, open your eyes, baby," Tommy pleaded.

And as if watching a miracle occur right in front of him, she slowly, tentatively, began to open her eyes.

"That's it, girl," Tommy encouraged and she finally opened them fully, blinking furiously as she became accustomed to her surroundings. For a minute, she just glanced around the room, clearly bewildered.

"Tommy…" she whispered, her voice scratchy from not having had anything to drink for weeks.

Tommy reached for the call button and pressed it, knowing a nurse would be there soon.

"Jude, you're okay. You're going to be fine," he said, squeezing her hand tightly as happy tears began to stream down his cheeks unheeded.

Tommy watched as her eyes became accustomed to the light around and she became more coherent. "What's going on?"

"You're in the hospital. You were in an accident," Tommy said sombrely, the memories of that horrible day flooding back as he spoke about it.

She instantly reached down to her considerably smaller stomach and began to panic. "Tommy, where's the baby? What happened?" She asked frantically, tears springing to her eyes.

"Shhh…" he soothed, reaching his hand to her face and brushing a stray hair away. He caressed her cheek lightly. "The baby's fine. There was a lot of trauma from your accident and they had to deliver him."

She calmed almost instantly. "He's okay?"

Tommy smiled, "Yes, he's doing well for being born two months premature." Tommy cleared his throat. "Jude, you've been unconscious for three weeks. The doctors weren't sure that… that you would ever…."

"Wake up?" She completed his sentence, shocked. "Three weeks?"

Tommy nodded. She was finally conscious. He could barely contain his joy.

They turned their heads as they heard the nurse approaching. "Miss. Harrison! It's certainly nice to see you awake," she said cheerfully. "I'm going to call the doctor and he'll come check you out fully." She walked away for a minute and came back in with a glass and a small jug of water.

"Thanks Marissa," Tommy said, as the nurse walked away again. He poured some water into the glass and handed it to Jude.

She took it, her hand slightly unsteady. She took a few healthy sips before placing the glass on the bedside tray.

"Marissa?" Jude asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Let's just say, I've been here a lot. I've gotten to know the regulars."

Jude laughed and Tommy relished the sound. Especially since a few hours ago he hadn't known if he'd ever hear it again.

Jude reached her hand up to trace the outline of Tommy's face, needing to touch him. "It feels like it's been so long since I've seen you." She laughed when her hand ran over his prickly, unshaved cheek. "You need to shave," she commented.

"Really? I was thinking maybe this unkempt look was working for me," Tommy joked, leaning forward, his lips approaching hers.

He kissed her, really kissed her for the first time in three weeks. He began gently, pressing his lips to hers and he moaned helplessly when he felt her soft lips begin to move under his. For the last three weeks, he had kissed her everyday, praying he'd feel her lips respond to his kiss. Now that she finally was reciprocating his embrace, he couldn't remember anything feeling as good.

He deepened the kiss, penetrating her mouth with his tongue, when they heard coughing from the doorway.

"I always seem to interrupt you two doing that," the doctor joked, and once again Jude couldn't help but blush.

"It's nice to see you awake Miss. Harrison. We were getting very concerned about you, "he said, looking through her chart.

"If you'll excuse me," Tommy said, his glance darting from the doctor to Jude. "I'm going to go call your Dad and then get Kwest to call everyone else," he said, kissing her temple before striding out the door.

The doctor proceeded with his examination. "Everything looks great, Miss. Harrison. I'll run a few more tests, and I'd like you to stay here a few days for observation, but after that I think you'll be well enough to be released."

"How's my son doing?"

The doctor smiled. "He's doing very well. He'll need to be here for another month or so in order for us to monitor his development."

"Can I see him?" Jude asked, impatient to see her baby.

"Absolutely. When Mr. Quincy gets back, I'm sure he'll be glad to take you down to the nursery," he said, smiling at Jude before leaving the room.

Jude felt so strange. She couldn't believe she'd been 'gone' for three weeks. As she looked around, she still felt vaguely disoriented. She figured that was pretty normal. Tommy said she'd been in an accident, but she couldn't remember anything about it. She closed her eyes, trying to remember anything. As her mind travelled backwards, the last thing she remembered before waking up was shopping for baby clothes.

She opened her eyes and sighed. It would come back, all in due time.

All she wanted was to see her baby, and her family. And, of course, spend as much time with Tommy as she could.

As soon as she started thinking about Tommy, she heard a song start playing in her mind. She closed her eyes and realized it was Tommy's voice.

Her eyes shot open as she heard him re-enter the room.

He smiled widely, taking his seat at the end of the bed again, and intertwining their hands.

"Tommy, did you sing me a song, a new one?" She asked.

Tommy looked at her surprised. "Yes. Do you remember it?"

She nodded. "It's beautiful. You'll have to play it for me again sometime."

He smiled. "Anything you want." He lifted her hand, kissing her palm. "I still can't believe you're awake, sitting here talking to me. I was so scared. I've never been more scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose you," he said, his voice gravely and his eyes cloudy with emotion.

She caressed his cheek, tracing the outline of his cheekbone with her thumb. "Never. You will never lose me, Tommy Quincy. I love you."

He pulled her towards him, locking her in a tight embrace. "I love you too, Jude Harrison. Soon to be Quincy."

They held each other for a long time, just enjoying the warmth of their joined bodies.

Finally Tommy pulled away. "Are you ready to meet our son?"

Jude beamed with anticipation. "More than ready."


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

As Tommy wheeled Jude down the hall, she could barely contain her excitement. She couldn't believe she was about to meet her baby.

Tommy steered her into the nursery and towards the incubator that held their son.

"I need to stand," Jude said, looking up from her sitting position towards where her son was lying. Tommy glanced at her worriedly, unsure if she was ready for that. But she looked determined and he knew that when Jude looked focused that she was going to get what she wanted. He locked the wheelchair and moved to her side, placing his strong arm around her back, helping her stand up.

She stepped forward tentatively, Tommy placing a supporting arm around her back. When they reached the incubator, he lifted his arm to her shoulders, tucking her tightly to his side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, worried that she was doing too much too soon.

"I'm better than alright," she whispered, staring at the precious life lying in front of them. She placed one of her hands through the hole in the glass, touching her son for the first time.

Her son took her breath away. He was beautiful, perfect, flawless. This perfect life that she and Tommy had created together. As she looked into his bright blue eyes and he grabbed a hold of her finger, she could feel the love and devotion welling up inside her. She was a mom. For the first time, the thought really solidified inside of her. And she couldn't have been happier. At eighteen, she was young, but she was ready. She had never felt more prepared for anything than spending the rest of her life loving her son and his daddy.

The heart-warming sight of Jude beginning to bond with their child, a sight Tommy was afraid he would never see, brought silent tears to his eyes.

They were all okay. They were going to be just fine.

"Hey baby, it's your mommy. I've missed you," Jude whispered as she watched the baby looking up at her as if he knew that he was finally looking at his mother. She lifted her free hand to her face to wipe the tears that were clouding her eyes. "Your daddy told me how much you've grown already. You're being really strong and brave. I know you must be scared, but don't worry. Your daddy and I, we're here and we won't let anything happen to you. We love you, little man," Jude smiled as the baby squeezed her finger, a seeming response to her word.

Jude laughed suddenly. "Little man? I guess we should give him a name," she mused. "All this time you waited for me, huh?" She asked, looking into Tommy's tear-stained eyes.

"Of course. I wasn't going to do it without you," he said, raising his hand to caress her face. He still couldn't believe she was finally awake and standing in his arms. "I was thinking about the name, though, reading all kinds of those name books while I've been sitting with you these past weeks. We hadn't talked about this name but I was thinking maybe we could call him Nathan. It means 'gift from God' and this little guy has definitely been our gift, our own little miracle. In his own way, he brought us back together, pushed us to see what we should have recognized all this time – that we belong together."

Jude beamed up at him, warmed by Tommy's tender words. "I love it. Nathan Thomas Quincy."

"Thomas?" Tommy asked, smiling despite himself.

"I thought we should pass down a little of his daddy in his name," she whispered, leaning into Tommy to kiss his cheek.

"It sounds great," Tommy whispered, his voice rough with emotion.

Jude turned her attention back to the newly christened Nathan Tommy Quincy. "He's beautiful."

"Just like his mom," Tommy whispered, planting a kiss in her hair.

Jude smiled, sinking deeper into Tommy's side, wrapping her free arm tightly around his waist. She inclined her head so that she could look into Tommy's eyes, which were gleaming with emotion. "I love you, Tom Quincy."

"I love you too, Jude Harrison. Quincy, soon enough," Tommy said, leaning his head down to kiss Jude's temple.

Jude began to laugh. "Never soon enough for me."

As Tommy and Jude refocused their attention on Nathan, they heard someone knock on the nursery glass. They turned to see Stuart, Sadie, Kwest, Spied, Mason and Jamie all smiling and waving at Jude.

"Looks like you have some anxious guests," Tommy commented, the left side of his mouth turning up into a smirk.

Jude reluctantly withdrew her hand from the incubator. "We love you, Nathan. We'll be back before you know it," Jude said, resting her hand on top of the incubator and staring into the baby's content face. "We better get out there before someone complains that there are six strangers stalking outside the nursery," Jude joked.

When Tommy began to walk her back to the wheelchair, Jude shook her head. "I want to walk. With you helping me, I can do it," she said, her voice full of resolve.

"Always pushing yourself, aren't you?" Tommy quipped, and the nurse stationed in the nursery volunteered to get an orderly to come by and pick up the wheelchair.

As they began to head slowly towards the door, Tommy wrapped an arm around Jude's back to support her, allowing her to set the slow pace. When she tried to speed up, Tommy held her back, "This isn't a race, Speedy Gonzales. You're still healing."

"Aww, are you worried that I'll outrun you, Quincy?" Jude joked.

"Please… Like you could," Tommy scoffed, laughing quietly.

They walked through the nursery doors and were swarmed by the awaiting visitors. Tommy released his hold on her as one by one they all enclosed Jude in warm hugs.

Tommy watched the scene play out in front of him, and it reminded him how much they all loved her. He saw tears in Jamie's eyes as he hugged her tightly, whispering a private message in her ear. He often forgot that Jamie and Jude had been friends for their whole lives.

"How about we head back to Jude's room?" Tommy suggested, noticing that, as much as Jude was trying to act perfectly healthy, she was beginning to look a little pale and tired.

They all agreed and began to walk towards her room, Tommy hanging back as he watched Mason making a comedic production of helping Jude walk. He couldn't help surmising that this was quite a different Mason than the one he'd seen mourning over Jude only two weeks ago. As he looked around, observing everyone's happiness, and the return of Spied's characteristic annoyance and Mason's cheerful sarcasm among other things, he perceived that Jude really was the glue that kept them all sane and together. Her impact on all of their lives was indescribable. His own life, especially, would be meaningless without her. And as they continued to walk to the hospital room, Tommy said a silent prayer of thanks for Jude's awakening.

When they finally arrived back at Jude's room, all seven of them packed in, surrounding Jude in an almost claustrophobic way. But Tommy could tell she wasn't bothered in the least. It warmed his heart to see how happy she was with all the people she loved around her.

"So, your little dude is really cute. The SME boys and I bought him a little present. We'll have to bring it by for you once you're home," Speed commented.

Jude smiled, taking his hand. "Thanks Spied. Tell Wally and Kyle I can't wait to see them. And the little dude has a name now," Jude said, her eyes lighting up.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense," Sadie said anxiously.

"We named him Nathan Thomas Quincy."

There was a chorus of collective "awwws" as they all began to process the name of their new little family member.

"No Vincent?" Spied joked.

Tommy couldn't help laughing. "Spiederman, _you_ don't even like that name."

Spied shrugged. "Yeah, that's true."

"I love Nathan. It's a wonderful name for my new grandson," Stuart stated proudly.

"Thanks Daddy," Jude said, squeezing his hand tightly. She suppressed a yawn as best she could but they all began to notice how tired she was becoming.

"I think Momma Harrison needs her sleep," Mason teased, standing up and kissing her cheek. "I'll see you soon."

"Thanks Mase."

Everyone but Tommy hugged her or squeezed her hand and filed out, leaving the two of them alone again.

Tommy walked closer to the bed and sat on the edge of it. "Tired?" he asked, yawning helplessly himself.

"Exhausted!" Jude said, laughing melodically. "I love them all dearly and didn't want to tell them to leave, but all of a sudden I felt like I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore." Even as she said this, Tommy noticed her eyes beginning to shut. "You look tired too, Tommy."

He nodded in agreement. He was past the point of exhaustion. He hadn't had more than a few hours sleep a night in three weeks.

Jude patted the bed beside her, sliding herself over to make room for him to lie beside her.

Tommy began to protest but stopped immediately when she opened her tired eyes to look at him intently. "Please?" she whispered.

He smiled, lying himself down beside her, stretching his arm out to pull her close to him. He heard Jude's breathing become deeper almost immediately and as he felt himself drifting off, he said another silent prayer of thanks to God for bringing his life back to him.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

_Two days later…_

Tommy strode into Jude's room looking happier than ever, carrying a duffel bag with him.

"What's up?" Jude asked instantly, looking curiously in the direction of the looking duffel bag.

Tommy shot Jude his characteristically dazzling smile. "I just spoke to the nurse and she said that the doctor cleared you to go home today."

Jude's face broke into a huge smile. "Really?"

Tommy nodded, putting the bag on the chair and sitting on the bed next to Jude.

"Thank God. The food here is not made for human consumption." Tommy watched as her face suddenly fell. "Nathan's not coming home with us, is he?"

"No. They need to keep him here for another few weeks. But we'll come visit him everyday. Ten times a day if you want," Tommy offered, knowing that going home without her son was going to be very difficult for Jude.

Jude's face brightened a little at his words. "And it's only a couple of weeks, right?"

Tommy smiled assuredly. He couldn't seem to help feeling buoyantly happy these days. He had so much to be cheerful about and so much to be thankful for. "Right. Now, let's get you dressed and we'll go see Nathan. And then I'm taking you home where I'll finally have you all to myself."

Jude blushed deeply. "I'm afraid the doctor said we can't do _that_ for another two weeks."

Tommy smirked knowingly. "I know. It's not all about sex for guys, you know." Jude raised a questioning eyebrow and Tommy corrected his statement. "Okay, sex is a big part," he remarked, laughing as Jude punched him playfully. "But thanks to you, I know there is so much more." His tone sobered as did the words he said. "So much more that I never even imagined I'd have a chance at."

Jude leaned over and kissed him softly, pulling back a fraction to say, "That goes both ways, Quincy." She nuzzled her nose with his, kissing the bridge of his nose and his temple before pulling back again. "Now let's get me out of this god-awful hospital gown."

Tommy stood, reaching into the bag he brought with him and pulling out a few of Jude's favourite clothing items. He closed the door to her room and strode back over to her. "I kinda like that gown," he joked, helping her stand up. He untied the peach coloured gown so he could slip it off her shoulders.

"You only like it because it keeps opening at the back." Jude commented, a smile forming on her lips.

"Okay, you caught me," Tommy quipped, tossing her gown onto the bed. When he turned back to look at Jude, he was taken aback by the scars and faint bruises that were present all over her torso. It shook him to the core, reminding him suddenly how close he had come to losing her.

Jude noticed the change in his expression and followed his gaze down to her scarred body. She lifted her hands to cradle his face between them. "Look at me, Tommy," she whispered softly. He did as she directed and met her piercing blue eyes with his. "I'm okay, Tommy. I'm here, I'm alive and I love you." She watched him crumble right in front of her, his body collapsing in heart-wrenching sobs. She pulled him close, feeling his tears run down her naked shoulder.

After all the upheaval of the last month, Tommy cried sad tears for what had almost happened to Jude and the baby, for the loss he had almost had to endure. And he cried happy tears for all the joy that his future held now that he knew Jude and Nathan were going to be alright.

He took a deep breath as the sobs subsided and roughly wiped the tears off his face. "I'm sorry, I just saw the bruises and the scars… and everything hit me." His voice was rough, the emotions still cutting him to his very core.

"I think you've been holding that in for a while," Jude said, brushing a hand through his hair.

He pulled back and took in her naked form again. He smirked, remembering that they were in a public hospital. "I guess we should get some clothes on you."

"Probably a good idea." She smiled, caressing his face in a gesture of love and comfort.

Tommy helped her gently slide on all her clothing and forced her to sit back down for a minute. He stood in front of her, brushing a stray hair off her face. He still looked shaken, his eyes glassy with more unshed tears.

"Are you alright?" she asked, the concern flowing through her words.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"You know what I mean."

Tommy's face became more serious. "I'm fine. I think you were right. I think I was holding it in, all the sadness and the joy. And it just… overwhelmed me." Jude smiled sympathetically, reaching her hand forward to link it with one of his. "I'm okay," he affirmed. "And if you're ready, we'll go see Nathan and then spring you from this place."

"Let's go."

* * *

After spending over an hour with Nathan in the nursery, Tommy had to almost drag Jude out of the hospital. He would have loved to stay all day just looking at their son, but he had planned a surprise for Jude and he didn't want her to miss it.

He settled Jude into the passenger seat of the Hummer. As he jogged around to his own side and climbed in, Jude nestled her head back comfortably against the head rest. "I've missed this."

Tommy eyed her curiously. "Just sitting with you. Alone," she said, answering his questioning look. "I'm surprised you're not driving the Viper," she commented casually.

Tommy's head spun around in shock and horror. They hadn't talked about the accident at all since she'd woken up and he knew that he was avoiding the subject. She didn't remember anything about it, and he honestly hoped that she never did.

Tommy cleared his throat, which still felt scratchy. "Ummm… it's gone. That's the car you had the accident in. The damage was fixable but… I couldn't keep it. Not after what happened."

Jude was shocked, but still couldn't remember a thing. "I'm sorry," she whispered, noticing Tommy's glistening eyes. She could see that even talking about the car was painful for him. "Tommy, you didn't have to give away your car."

He glanced at her quickly before staring out the window. "I did. Every time I looked at it I saw the mess on the road that night. The broken glass, the crushed metal. And the blood." She saw him quickly wipe away a tear that escaped his eye.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that. I wish I could erase it from your memory." Jude tugged lightly on his hand and he turned his head towards her. "But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere ever again." She smiled earnestly, and he leaned in and kissed her lips briefly but passionately.

"I'm going to hold you to that," he whispered, kissing her cheek quickly before pulling back and readjusting his position behind the wheel.

He cleared his throat, trying to push the sadness away. He started the car and as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot, he mused that it was a happy day and he intended for the rest of it to go smoothly.

* * *

He pulled the Hummer into the parking lot behind EE Records and Jude looked at him puzzled.

"I thought we were going home," she said as he parked in his usual spot. Jude distinctly noticed Tommy trying to hide a smirk. "Soon. I just want to check on something here first."

He jumped out of the car and hurried to her door to open it before she could. He offered his hand, which she accepted, and he helped her out of the car, leading her towards the building.

When they entered, Jude noticed immediately that the place was abandoned; well, except for Spiederman who was standing in the middle of the lobby looking like someone had caught him sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar. Or stealing one of Kwest's large subs from the fridge.

"Surprise?" He said rather sheepishly. Jude glanced at him oddly, wondering what in the world he was talking about.

All of a sudden, people emerged from everywhere, behind Sadie's reception desk, the couches and even from the studios and Jamie's and Paegan's office. Mason, Jamie, Paegan, Kwest, Sadie, her dad, Wally, Kyle, even Karma.

"Nice way to ruin the surprise, Vincent," Darius said, emerging last from one of the studios. Speed just shrugged and winked playfully at Jude.

"D?" She hadn't seen him since he had helped Tommy save her from Hunter. Since he'd killed Hunter to protect her. She'd heard he was still in a bit of financial trouble and all these months she just figured he'd gone back into hiding. She walked forward and hugged him tightly. "What's going on here?" she asked, pulling back and looking around at everyone.

"Well, it's a post-baby baby shower. And when I heard from Tommy about everything, I had to come see my number one diva. I'm glad you're okay." His paternal-like affection for Jude was obvious, regardless of all the disagreements they had in the past.

"A baby shower?" She smiled, kissing Darius' cheek before returning to Tommy's side.

"That's right, Mama Harrison," Mason interjected, walking swiftly over to Jude and putting an arm around her shoulder. "See, you and Tommy tend to do things a little out of whack. So, I guess a baby shower after the baby's been born makes perfect sense." He led her toward the back of the building where there was a beautiful table set up with large, beautifully wrapped gifts lying on it. And another table with a large cake and some finger foods.

"You guys are amazing," she said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears of happiness. "All of you." She glanced around, saving a special look for Tommy, who she guessed intuitively was behind the whole thing.

"No crying. This is a happy time. Happy people smile," Jamie joked, approaching and pulling Jude into a warm hug. "Now, since I know how much you love opening presents, why don't we get to it?" Jamie asked, laughing as Jude's eyes lit up with anticipation.

* * *

A while later, Jude had opened every present but one. Tommy had watched from the sidelines, happy to observe Jude in her glory, smiling and laughing as she opened all the presents. Most of the gifts had been practical. A bassinet from Karma, tons of baby clothes from Sadie and Kwest, a stylish 'rock and roll' baby t-shirt from Paegan. Mason and Jamie, as Jude's co-best friends, had gone together to buy an incredible basket filled with bottles, diapers, blankets and everything Tommy had not even realized they would need. Darius had given them a large basket full of stuffed animals and baby toys. The most heart-warming gift, from Jude's dad, had been a beautiful silver locket, engraved on the back with Nathan's name. Jude had cried at the amazing present, and Stuart had lightened the mood by saying that the other part of his gift was unlimited babysitting whenever Jude and Tommy felt like ripping their hair out. Tommy joked that they would probably be taking him up on that offer quite a bit.

The last gift, from the boys of SME was very large and brightly wrapped. Jude tentatively ripped the paper, wondering what in the world Wally, Kyle and Speed would think of buying. Inside the large box were two slightly smaller boxes, one in the shape of a guitar case, the other another gift box. Jude grabbed the small guitar case and opened it, seeing a small, beautiful wooden child-size guitar.

Jude looked towards the three boys, her eyes beaming. "It's beautiful."

"And along with that comes free lessons from his Uncle Spied," Spied added proudly.

"That will be great. Although, I think it will be a few years before Nathan's ready for that." She smiled, reaching for the second box. Lifting the lid, she broke into hysterical laughter. Inside the box were three different little t-shirts, all with different messages printed on them. The first said "My mom is a Rock Star", the second had the Spiederman Mind Explosion logo on it, and the third one, the one that had made Jude laugh the most, said, "I love my dad, even if he is Lord Squinty Frown".

Tommy peeked inside the box, curious about what was making Jude laugh so hard. Noticing the shirt, he rolled his eyes and couldn't help but smirking slightly. Those SME boys certainly had guts, he had to give them that much.

"I love them, thank you guys." Jude stood up and gave each of them a big hug.

The rest of the afternoon, Jude talked with everyone and genuinely had a good time with her friends and family. She stole a few glances at Tommy when he wasn't at her side, and was relieved that he had seemed to have cheered up.

"So, how is my platinum rock star doing?" Darius asked, approaching Jude.

"I'm good. Thanks for coming Darius." Her face took on a more serious look. "I don't think I ever got to properly thank you for everything you did before, with Hunter. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for you."

Darius scoffed off her praise. "I'd do it again, a million times over, to protect you or Tommy. You are my people, and that means something." He smiled, and continued, "Well, I have to bounce. Take care of yourself and Tommy." Jude hugged him once more, and spotted Jamie walking towards her as Darius walked away.

"How's the new mom doing?" Jamie asked, offering her some punch, which she took gladly.

"I'm good. Thank you, Jamie, for the wonderful present. You and Mason were far too generous."

He waved off the comment. "We, as your closest friends, love you and our new little nephew. And even Tommy some of the time."

Jude almost spit out her punch at the last comment as she tried to hold back her laughter. "You love Tommy?" she asked sceptically once she had swallowed her punch.

"Well, he makes you happy, and since I'm still slightly obsessive compulsive when it comes to you, that works in his favour. And he's improved a lot since you've been together. All those months ago, Jude, you made the right choice when you picked him."

Jude's head shot up as she was completely caught off guard by his mention of her choosing Tommy over him those many months ago.

"I've always known that you made the right choice. And even though it's bittersweet, seeing you and him building a family, seeing you happier than ever, I know this was the life that was meant for you."

She reached forward to hug Jamie tightly. "I love you, Jude, and you'll always be my best friend. And I can't tell you how glad I am to have you back, to see you out of that hospital." He squeezed her tightly before releasing her.

If there was anything Jude had learned while in the hospital, it was that she should never leave anything important unsaid. "Thank you Jamie, for everything you've ever done, all the friendship you've always given me even when I didn't deserve it."

"You're more than welcome. I told you once we'd always be best friends. I meant it then and I mean it now." He kissed her cheek briefly before walking away to talk to Spied and Wally.

Jude smiled as she watched Jamie walk off, suddenly surprised by Tommy's appearance at her side.

"You ready to go home?" He whispered in her ear, his lips detouring to kiss her cheek softly. He slipped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"Definitely," she said, a yawn suddenly overcoming her.

They said a quick goodbye and thank you to everyone and headed home after promising to have everyone over once Nathan was home and ready for visitors.

As Tommy pulled into the driveway, Jude felt like it had been years since she'd been home. Tommy rushed to her side to help her out of the car. But instead of helping her walk, her swept her up into his arms and carried her into the house. A few giggles escaped Jude's lips at Tommy's behaviour.

He headed directly for their bedroom, juggling Jude in his arms as he pulled back the covers and placed her gently in bed. He laid the covers back over her and settled himself comfortably against the headboard next to her.

"Happy to be home?" he asked.

"More than you'll ever know."


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

_Two Weeks Later…_

"Are you sure you want the crib to go here?" Tommy asked glancing towards Jude. She was sitting comfortably in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, observing all the work Tommy and Kwest were doing.

She analyzed the room before agreeing with the placement of the crib. "I like it there. You know, I could help you," Jude said, beginning to get up.

"Don't even think about moving from that spot," Tommy said, pointing at her in a mock threat. "The doctor said you need rest." He walked to her chair and leaned down to kiss her temple. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get a drink. Either of you want anything?"

Jude and Kwest both shook their heads silently, and Tommy bent to steal a quick kiss before striding out of the nursery.

Jude stood up slowly, walking around the spacious room, the spare bedroom that they had converted into a nursery. Tommy and Kwest had worked so hard the past couple of weeks painting and putting all the finishing touches on Nathan's room. She ran her hand along the smooth wood surface of the crib, staring in amazement at all the work that had been done.

"You're supposed to be sitting down, I believe," Kwest said, smiling at Jude's defiance.

"I'm fine," she asserted. "Let me do something. You know I don't like be useless."

"Just don't worry. We've got this all under control," Kwest said as he continued to build the change table. He looked back at the instructions, clearly confused at to what to do next.

Jude smirked. "Kwest, give me those," she said, holding her hand out for the instructions.

Kwest just shook his head, handing over the piece of paper with all the diagrams and numbers on it. "Fine. You read them and I'll build it. But if Tommy asks, you forced me into it."

"You got it." She took a minute to read the instructions before looking down at the partially made table that Kwest was leaning over. "Okay, well that is a table leg," Jude said, pointing at one of the long pieces of wood, "so you attach it there." She pointed to one of the junctures which would fit the leg.

"Excellent," Kwest said as he did as Jude instructed. It took them only five more minutes to complete, during which time Tommy returned and looked disapprovingly at Jude who was no longer seated where he left her.

"Kwest, I meant to ask you. Where's my sister? Is she trying to get out of doing manual labour?" Jude asked laughing.

Kwest eyed Tommy, who answered the question instead. "Actually, I asked her to pick up a few things. She'll be here soon." Jude caught a tense look between the two men.

She looked back and forth between the two of them, knowing that something was going on. "What are you two up to?" she asked, a gleam of curiosity flashing across her face.

"Nothing. Nothing's going on," Tommy said, just a little too quickly.

Jude started to laugh, "Sure. Whatever you say." To alleviate Tommy's fears and worried glances, she returned to the rocking chair. She felt completely well and hated being treated like an invalid. But Tommy had been through so much, and it did not slip Jude's notice that since the accident Tommy had been a little more careful with her and a bit more cautious in general. She certainly wasn't going to worry him any more than she had to.

Kwest glanced at his watch and said something in a low tone to Tommy. Then he stood up. "Well, I'm going to take off. I have something I have to take care of."

Jude looked at him curiously. This sudden need for departure, at only 1:00 in the afternoon, only heightened her suspicion that they were up to something. There was no point questioning them about it; she already knew they wouldn't reveal anything. "Alright," she conceded, laughing lightly at the mysterious way they were acting.

She stood up to kiss Kwest's cheek briefly. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem." He smiled before sweeping out of the room.

Jude yawned helplessly, suddenly feeling tired. "I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Everything alright?" Tommy asked, instantly worried.

"Everything's fine," She touched Tommy's arm reassuringly, and kissed his cheek before she made her way out of the room and laid down on the bed next door in the master bedroom. Within minutes she felt herself drifting of to sleep, her mind still idly wondering what her fiancée was planning.

As Tommy stood in the doorway only five minutes later to check on a sleeping Jude, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. There were still times he had trouble remembering that she was fine. He couldn't help but be a little relieved she was sleeping now; an impish smirk filled his face as he mused that he still had some details of his surprise to attend to.

* * *

Two hours later, Tommy sat on the edge of the bed, shaking Jude lightly. "Jude," he whispered. "Time to wake up."

She reluctantly roused, only to pull the covers over her head a second later.

"No, no." Tommy grabbed the covers, pulling them back, away from her body.

"What's going on?" Jude asked groggily, her eyes still closed.

"You know, you've got to be the hardest person to wake up," Tommy commented, holding in a laugh.

"So don't do it then," Jude mumbled before turning over, aiming her body away from Tommy.

She was wrong if she thought that was going to stop him. Only seconds later, she screamed as Tommy scooped her up and placed her tentatively on her feet.

She laughed hysterically as Tommy tickled her awake.

"Okay, okay," Jude squealed, pushing his hands away, still laughing.

"Are you awake now?" Tommy joked, pulling her against him.

"Definitely. What's the hurry anyway?"

"I've got a surprise for you," he said, running his lips down Jude's throat.

"Hmmm… I like this surprise." She tilted her neck to give him better access.

Tommy laughed, his laughter rich and warm. "Not _that_ kind of surprise. That will come soon enough. When I know you are fully healed. This surprise requires you wear this," he pointed to a dress bag hanging on the hook on the closet door.

"What's going on?" Jude asked, her puzzlement clear.

Tommy rolled his eyes playfully. "It's a surprise! Just put on the dress. I must give credit to Sadie for choosing it – I asked her to pick out something you'd like. Now, come on, we've got somewhere special to be," Tommy said, his eyes sparkling with bliss.

She eyed the bag curiously. "I'll give you a few minutes to get ready and I'll meet you downstairs." He pecked her cheek and closed the door behind him.

She slowly opened the bag, revealing the prettiest dress she had ever seen. It was white, with tiny straps, and a glittering fitted bodice. She had to remind herself to thank Sadie later.

She removed her clothes and slipped on the dress. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't think anything had ever suited her so perfectly, emphasizing the small width of her waist, which had gone back to being tiny since having Nathan, and the slimness of her shoulders and collarbone.

She applied a bit of makeup and some lip gloss and put her hair up quickly. She slid on some strappy white heels and stood in front of the full length mirror again.

"Perfect," she said to reflection before opening the bedroom door and heading down towards the stairs.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Tommy looking gorgeous, dressed in a tuxedo, standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her.

She walked slowly down the stairs, stopping right at the bottom to take in the sight of him. "Well, you certainly clean up nicely," she joked.

His face broke out into a wide smile. "Don't get used to this. This thing is killing me," he said, trying to loosen the collar of his shirt. "You look beautiful." He held his palm open. "Ready to go?"

"Of course. Where are we going again?"

Tommy laughed as he led her to the Porsche. "Don't even try. Just enjoy the ride."

Jude settled comfortably into the passenger seat. It felt weird being in a car again. Since the accident, the memory of which kept coming back in bits and pieces, she had avoided riding in a car as much as possible. But whatever tonight was, she had a feeling it would be worth it.

Tommy drove carefully, knowing instinctively that Jude was still a little wary about even being in a car. He couldn't help but smile at tonight, at what he had waiting for her.

As they neared the destination, Tommy suddenly broke the comfortable silence. "Close your eyes."

"What?" Jude asked, her head spinning to look at him.

"Close your eyes. You've been where we're going before and I want it to be a complete surprise this time."

"Cryptic much?" Jude asked with a tinge of sarcasm. "Fine, fine," she conceded as Tommy gave her a pleading looking. She closed her eyes tightly, willing that she wouldn't ruin the surprise. Whatever it was, it was important enough that he had gone to all this trouble. And there was nothing she loved more than a surprise.

Within ten minutes, Tommy pulled the car to a stop. "Can I open my eyes?"

"Not yet. Hold on, I'm going to come around and help you out." Jude heard Tommy's door slam and within seconds, she heard her own door open and felt Tommy's strong grip on her arm. "Okay, swing your legs out of the car and I'll help you stand up."

She laughed softly at her own clumsiness as she almost toppled out of the car. "Okay, I've got you." Jude heard Tommy's voice close to her ear as he swung an arm tightly around her waist, leading her forward. He guided her cautiously up a few stairs and turned her body before saying, "Okay. You can open your eyes now."

Jude opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the sunlight. She recognized where they were immediately. She and Tommy were standing at the front door of the church near her old family farm. The church she had brought Tommy to when they were looking for places to record her third album.

Jude focused her attention back on Tommy, who smiling unguardedly. "I have an important question to ask you. Will you marry me Jude?"

Jude glanced down at her engagement ring in confusion. "Tommy, I already—"

"Today," he interjected. "Right now."

Jude could feel a smile filling her whole face. "Yes. There's nothing else I'd rather do."

Tommy let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. Let's do it." He opened the door and motioned for her to enter the church ahead of him.

She was immediately blown away. The interior of the church looked amazing. It was decorated with fresh flowers and beautiful white accents placed perfectly around the church. And the church was filled with all her family and friends. Even Darius was there.

She looked around her, at all that he had arranged for her, and she knew couldn't be any luckier. He was amazing, and he was hers. Forever.

She turned around to face Tommy. "I can't believe you did all this."

He reached his hand to her face. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

She leaned in for a kiss, her lips almost touching his before she heard Sadie yelling, "That will come later!" They pulled apart and Sadie shooed Tommy down the aisle. "Let's get this show on the road."

Tommy shot Jude a smirk before walking towards the front of the church. Stuart slipped down the aisle, passing Tommy as he walked to meet Jude and Sadie.

"This is amazing," Jude commented, still taking in the wonderful transformation of the church.

"It is. And Tommy planned it all. We helped, but he knew exactly what he wanted. It was kinda weird for a guy to be so sure. But it was cute, all the same," Sadie quipped.

Jude couldn't help but laugh at this revelation. "So, little sister, as your maid of honor I must ask – are you ready to become Mrs. Quincy?" Sadie asked, a proud smile forming on her lips.

"I think I've always been ready." Jude reached forward and hugged her sister tightly.

As Sadie pulled away, she signalled the organist, who began playing. Sadie winked encouragingly before beginning her descent down the aisle.

Jude stood at the top of the aisle with her father, waiting for their moment. "I'm so proud of you, honey."

She wiped away a tear the slipped down her cheek. There's was nothing she wanted more than to make her dad proud. "And now you and Tommy have given me a wonderful grandchild to love. I couldn't be happier for the two of you."

"Thanks, Daddy," she said, hugging him tightly. "That means a lot. I know you haven't always been happy with Tommy."

Stuart waved off her statement. "That's all in the past. You two have an amazing future. And I'm just glad to be a part of it." The music changed, signalling that it was time for Jude to walk down the aisle. Stuart offered his arm, and they began to walk.

Jude couldn't take her eyes off Tommy, who was waiting for her at the end of the aisle. He was smiling, apparently not nervous at all. But then again, neither was she. She always knew this moment would come. Somewhere deep in her heart, even when she tried to push him out of her life, she had known that one day they would be together like this.

Stuart and Jude reached Tommy and he handed his daughter's hand into Tommy's care, symbolically handing his daughter to the man who had taken his position as the most important man in her life. He kissed Jude's cheek before taking his seat beside Jamie.

Jude felt Tommy's strong grip on her hands as he smiled joyously at her. Neither of them heard much of the minister's brief introduction. The service was a blur until the time came for them to say their vows. They simultaneously requested that they be allowed to say their own vows, both feeling that the traditional statements simply did not say what they wanted to say.

"Tommy," Jude began, feeling the tears of happiness already threatening. "I'm not sure I can actually pinpoint the day I feel in love with you. It seemed to happen all of a sudden. One day you walked into my life and everything was different." She smiled widely, remembering their first few days of knowing each other. "I felt more alive as a person and as a musician. You have changed my life in so many ways. As everyone knows, you and I have had our ups and downs, and there were times I wasn't sure we were going to make it. But, the one thing that has never changed is the fact that I love you. And I can't imagine my life without you in it." She allowed the tears to flow, Tommy lifting his hand gently to her face to wipe them away.

The minister turned to Tommy, motioning for him to give his vows as well. He took a deep breath, and Jude noticed his eyes glistening with emotion. "Jude Harrison. That's officially the last time I will call you that. After today, you're Jude Quincy, my wife. And you can be sure that I'm going to let everyone know that," he quipped, laughing lightly. "I can't even tell you how good it makes me feel to call you my wife. I've messed up with you, more times than you ever should have allowed. And I'm so grateful that you have stuck by me so that we were finally able to arrive here. I love you; I hope you have never doubted that. And I love the family we're creating. For the first time in my life, I see a future for myself. And it's all because of you." A few tears slid down Tommy's cheeks as his eyes shone with happiness and pride.

The minister spoke a few more words before telling Tommy that he could kiss his bride. He swept her tightly into his arms, his soft lips claiming her own, for now and for always.


	27. Chapter 26

_**Important**_ **_A/N_**: Well, I'm afraid to say that this is it (well, almost... there's an epilogue after this). But this is the **last **chapter. I'm sad that it's over but I hope I've done justice with this ending. But please stay tuned for the epilogue...

I'm so thankful to all of you who have read this story and commented. I can't even begin to say how much your comments inspired me to keep going when I was really unsure whether anyone would even want to read this! So, a huge thank you to all of you!

Well, enjoy the last chapter and I should have the epilogue up soon (hopefully by Monday).

* * *

Chapter 26: 

Tommy fluffed the pillows on the bed, motioning for Jude to lie back against them.

"I'm not helpless you know," Jude said, although she had to admit she enjoyed being pampered. She lay back, resting her head comfortably. They were at home in their bedroom and Jude had already changed into her pajamas.

After the wedding service, Tommy had noticed Jude becoming tired and insisted that they leave. Everyone understood and they promised to have a reception party at a later date.

"I'm sorry that we can't go on our honeymoon right now," Jude said regretfully, watching Tommy change out of his tuxedo.

He approached the bed, his loosened tie hanging casually around the collar of his shirt, which he had already begun to unbutton. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to kiss her temple. "Oh, we'll go. I promise you. When you're 100 better and Nathan is well enough for Sadie and Kwest to look after him for a few days, we'll spend some time just being together. In every way," he said seductively.

"You know, I'm probably ready," Jude said, but even as she shifted her body to move closer to Tommy she winced from the slight discomfort.

Tommy laughed. "Nice try, Mrs. Quincy. I know it's hard to resist me, but you'll have to do your best for a little while longer. I want to make sure your body is completely ready for me before we do that." He kissed the side of her face playfully before standing up to finish changing.

"Mrs. Quincy…" Jude mused. "I love the sound of that." She grinned, and Tommy turned, mirroring the same joy on his face.

"It means you're all mine, forever."

"And don't forget you're all mine too," Jude corrected, smiling.

"But of course. And I wouldn't want it any other way." He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt before sitting down on the bed beside her. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Well," she began, tracing circles on his wrist with her thumb, "since we can't do what I want to do, how about we just relax with some junk food and watch some movies?" Jude shook her head, laughing. "What a honeymoon." She was laughing, but Tommy could tell she was also clearly disappointed that they weren't yet getting the honeymoon they had dreamed of.

"Hey." He put his finger under her chin, tilting it to look at him. "Wherever you are is where I want to be. No matter what we're doing, okay?"

She smiled, knowing that he was telling the truth. He was being so great about this. Not many newly married husbands would be this understanding about the fact that they couldn't have sex on their honeymoon.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Tommy asked, getting up and walking towards their DVD collection.

"Gone With the Wind," Jude answered immediately. It was one of her favourites and she knew Tommy liked it too.

He popped the DVD in and returned to the bed to nestle under the covers with Jude. He pulled her into his arms and she leaned her head on his chest as the movie began.

Almost four hours later, as the final credits were rolling, Tommy looked down at Jude. "You know, I'm actually kind of surprised you like that movie. I mean, I know you Jude, you're obsessed with happy endings. And as amazing as that movie is, it doesn't exactly have a happy ending."

Jude smiled, tilting her head up to look at him. "Haven't you heard of 'Scarlett'?"

Tommy shook his head. "See, 'Scarlett' was a sequel of sorts. It wasn't written by the original author, and it was written a lot later, but it kept a lot of the same mood and characters. And it ended happily. So, I look upon this as like chapter one in their relationship. Besides, I think, even without the sequel, I always suspected that Scarlett and Rhett would find their way back to each other one day."

Tommy laughed. "I knew you'd have to have a theory or explain away a potentially unhappy ending."

"But of course, Mr. Quincy. A love story like theirs isn't going to end unhappily. I simply won't believe it," Jude said, quite determined.

"Alright, Mrs. Quincy, I concede to your romantic intuition."

"Don't you want to believe they got their happily ever after?" Jude asked, shifting in his arms to look at him fully.

"I guess. But you know what's more important to me?"

"What?" Jude asked.

"Our happily ever after," he answered, leaning down and kissing her lips.

* * *

For a week, Jude and Tommy spent their time between relaxing at home and visiting Nathan in the hospital. And finally, after waiting for what seemed like forever, Nathan was ready to come home. 

They arrived at the hospital as early as they could that morning to pick up their son. The doctor explained a few precautionary things to them before releasing Nathan into their care. Tommy carried him carefully, tightly in his arms and placed him in the car seat in the Hummer before helping Jude get into the passenger's side.

He drove home extremely cautiously; he didn't think he'd ever drive as recklessly as he once had, not after almost losing Jude and Nathan in a car accident. Nathan didn't cry at all on the way home, and Jude kept turning around in her seat to make sure that he was doing okay.

When they finally reached their house, Tommy picked Nathan up out of the car seat and placed him in Jude's arms. Nathan was sleeping peacefully so Jude carried him right upstairs and laid him in his crib. Tommy and Jude stood for almost an hour, just staring at Nathan sleeping in his own room. Sometimes, it has seemed like this day would never come.

A few people dropped by with more presents and to see Nathan. That first day was surreal, passing in almost a blur. And by the time Nathan fell asleep at 9:00 that night, Tommy and Jude collapsed on their own bed, sleeping before their heads hit the pillows.

Tommy woke up at 2:00 am, noticing immediately that Jude wasn't in bed. He swung his legs out of bed, and dragged his tired body to the nursery, where he witnessed his beautiful wife feeding his son.

"Hey," Jude whispered, seeing Tommy appear in the doorway.

"Hey yourself," Tommy said, his voice raspy from sleep.

"This little guy is hungry. I think he's happy to be home." Jude looked down at her son, smiling from ear to ear.

"He's not the only one." Tommy remained in the doorway, just watching as Jude, the woman he loved more than anything, fussed over and cuddled the baby that they had created together. Tommy felt his chest bursting with pride over the life he finally had. He was finally happy. He finally had a family, a place he belonged. And he knew he would never let that go.

Jude placed a sleeping Nathan back in the crib and Tommy joined Jude at the side of the crib, slipping his arms around Jude.

"We've come so far, haven't we?" She said suddenly.

"We certainly have. We finally have everything. Each other, a family," he whispered, tightening his arms around her. They were both still looking down at their sleeping son.

"I'm glad you never gave up on me, Tommy. When I wanted for us just to be friends, you never once gave up on us, did you?"

He shook his head. "Never. But you never really gave up either. We never gave up on each other. And that's how we're here, right now, here where we've always belonged."

She spun to face him, her eyes shining. "I love you, Tommy. Forever."

A smile filled his face, "I love you too, Jude. Always."

They glanced once more at Nathan before heading towards the door.

"I talked to the doctor alone for a second at the hospital," Jude said as she led Tommy back their bedroom. "I asked him if maybe it would be okay if we made love…"

"And what did he say?" Tommy asked eagerly.

Jude waited to say anything else until they were fully in their bedroom, leading Tommy towards the end of the bed. Her face burst out in a smile. "He said I'm ready, that we can—"

Tommy cut her off by pressing his lips firmly to hers. And within seconds, they fell onto the bed together.

"Finally," Jude whispered between Tommy's kisses.

Tommy laughed. "Thank God we've got the rest of our lives; I could never get enough of you."

They settled into the covers, knowing that this was just the beginning of their very own happily ever after.


	28. Epilogue

A/N: Well, unfortunately, this is the end. I have really enjoyed writing this and I hope you have also enjoyed reading it! I want to thank each and every one of you who read and commented. It's been a joy reading your feedback; you really inspired me to keep writing this. Many, many thanks for all your kind words.

I really hope you enjoy the epilogue:)

* * *

Epilogue:

_3 Years Later_…

The Quincy house was alive with the sounds of gleeful children running around. It was Nathan's third birthday and his parents had planned an extravagant party. There was over a hundred people in the backyard and all ages of kids running throughout the house. The kids, which included Kwest and Tommy, were playing a rather spirited game of hide and seek.

"Look who I found!!" Tommy yelled as ran into the living room and swept Nathan up in his arms. Nathan giggled furiously as his father tickled him.

"Daddy," he said, laughing as Tommy put him down. "When do I get my pwesents?"

"Soon, kiddo. Your mommy wants to have the cake first."

Jude stood in the doorway, watching lovingly as her husband and son played around.

"Well, Nathan, if you really want to open your presents, we can do that first."

"Rweally??" His blonde hair shone from the sunlight pouring in. He reminded Tommy so much of Jude. He had Tommy's eyes and mouth but everything else screamed Jude.

"Really," Jude said, laughing and bending down as Nathan ran to her and hugged her. She released her son, who began to play with one of the other children who was in the living room.

"Softy," Tommy whispered, as he slid his arm around Jude's shoulder.

Jude laughed brightly. "Look who's talking, Mr. 'I'll go to every department store in a hundred mile radius to find the one toy my son desperately wants'.

Tommy laughed, shrugging in concession.

"Nathan, can you run to the backyard and ask your Aunt Sadie to come help mommy?" Jude asked.

He immediately did as he was asked, running quickly out towards the backyard.

"And you," she said, turning her head towards Tommy, "can round everyone up so Nathan can open his presents."

"Will do." He kissed her cheek before heading out to the backyard himself.

Sadie walked into the kitchen as Jude was getting out some more food to take outside. "What's up sis?"

"I need your help. I have a little surprise," Jude said, smirking. "I'm going to help Nathan open his presents and when I give him this one to open," she pointed a particular blue gift wrapped present, "I want you to give this to Tommy and tell him it's from me." She handed her sister a small gift bag. Sadie took it, sending Jude a curious look.

"Do it, please?" Jude asked, playfully sticking out her bottom lip.

"Okay, Jude, whatever you say," Sadie said, carrying the bag out with her.

Nathan was clearly having fun ripping the wrapping paper off his gifts. Tommy was standing off to the side a little as Jude assisted his destruction of the nicely wrapped gifts.

Time came for Jude's surprise and she nodded at Sadie as she handed Nathan the blue gift.

Tommy shot her a curious look as Sadie handed him the bag. She watched as both Nathan and Tommy opened their presents. Tommy stood dumbfounded, just staring in amazement at his present. Nathan's gift was a shirt, and Jude lifted the shirt so everyone could see. "Nathan, honey. Mommy had this shirt made especially for you. And you know what it says? It says, 'I'm going to be a big brother'."

The guests clapped and yelled in encouragement and happiness.

Tommy rushed towards her, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning her around as Nathan, and the guests looked on in amazement. Tommy was still clutching the positive pregnancy test in his hand, the gift that Jude had wrapped for him.

"I'm going to be a big bwother?" Nathan asked.

Tommy put Jude back on her feet, and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Yes," Jude answered, tears of joy slipping down her cheeks. She glanced at Tommy to see the same joy reflected in his eyes.

"Your mommy's going to have a baby, a brother or sister for you to love," Tommy spoke to his son.

"Rweally??" The boy's face lit up in excitement.

"Really. The baby has to grow in mommy's stomach for a while first," Jude said, knowing that likely Nathan would think he could see the baby immediately.

Nathan tentatively approached his mom, raising his tiny hand to touch her stomach.

"Hi baby. I'm your big bwother," Nathan said proudly, beaming as the guests laughed.

Tommy placed his hand on top of Nathan's on Jude's stomach. His blue eyes pierced hers as he mouthed, "I love you."

She wiped away a few tears, and placed her own hand on Tommy's, mouthing the words back at him. Their own little perfect family.

Life really couldn't get any better than that.


End file.
